What Were The Keys To Victory For Virginia In Their 73-66 Win Over Boston College?

What led to the victory for the Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon?

Jan 31, 2026; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Boston College Eagles guard Donald Hand Jr. (13) and Boston College Eagles center Boden Kapke (33) defend the basket from Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) during the second half at Conte Forum. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Virginia escapes with another victory on the road in a hostile environment against Boston College. The Hoos have been tested this week, but did a good job of answering the call. The second half performance of Thijs De Ridder, Malik Thomas, and Chance Mallory made the difference. The Cavaliers are now 18-3 on the season and were one of the top teams in the conference. Let’s take a deeper look at the key takeaways in the game. 

1. Virginia can win games without playing their best 

The Hoos have been dealt two strong tests this past week, and despite the teams' records not being the best in Notre Dame and Boston College, it didn’t stop them from giving Virginia a run for their money. A common theme from both games is a slower start for Virginia, but a really good second half marked by their defense and ability to score in the paint has been the difference. While Virginia is a really good shooting team, they’ve shown the ability to change their philosophy and get better shots when they aren’t falling in games. They don’t need their best effort to win games at a high level. They can lean on other things in order to secure a victory and come out on top. The wins against Notre Dame and Boston College proved they can win in any type of way and be a tough out in the tournament. 

2. Virginia’s strong second half performance 

After struggling for most of the first half and trailing 32-27 at the break, the Hoos turned it around in a major way on both ends of the floor. At one point, they shot 9-15 to begin the second half. Giving the Hoos a big boost was Malik Thomas, who led the way with 12 points in the second half alone. As a team, Virginia shot 51.6% from the field. More importantly, they didn’t settle. Virginia attacked the rim and, after going 2-16 from beyond the arc in the first half, only took seven threes in the second. They drew contact and knocked down a number of free throws to get back in it and close it out. The Hoos went 12-14 from the charity stripe in the second half. Thomas and De Ridder led the way, making a combined 7-8 from the free throw line. Virginia scored 46 second-half points, which was key in avoiding the upset. 

3. Virginia bench serves true again 

The Hoos had a major advantage with their bench coming in and giving them an extra punch on a day the starters didn’t have their best outing. Virginia had a 28-1 advantage in bench points and was led by Chance Mallory with 11 points. Jacari White also added eight points off the bench and began to get back in a groove for the Hoos at the right time, especially from Beyond the Arc. Ugonna Onyenso added seven points and seven rebounds. 

4. Virginia rebounding came up big when they were struggling 

Virginia continued to crash the offensive glass and came down with 14 offensive rebounds. That led to nine second-chance points in the game. While the numbers aren’t the best, the rebounds allowed the Cavaliers to have extra possessions, which led the Hoos to more free throws. The free-throw shooting was pivotal in the second half of the game and made all the difference in the world. With the way they rebound the ball and get second chance opportunities will be valuable when they play in games with higher stakes. You have to credit the bigs and the guards with how serious they have been on the glass.