The Good, Bad and Ugly From Virginia's Victory Over Boston College

The Virginia Cavaliers sealed another win this weekend, but it was another tight matchup.

Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The challenges the Virginia Cavaliers faced yesterday afternoon against Boston College were more than many had expected. However, after a sluggish start to the matchup, the Cavaliers rallied in the second half for a 73-66 victory. With another win added to their resume, let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly from this weekend.

The Good

Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

If UVA hadn't pulled ahead in the second half, the Eagles would have handed them a loss, considering Boston College led throughout the first. It wasn't until Sam Lewis scored with 15:30 on the clock in the second that Virginia took the lead. This is telling of UVA's ability to play right up until the end, ultimately bringing their overall record to 18-3 and 7-2 in conference play. As head coach Ryan Odom noted during his postgame press conference, in reference to their halftime conversation:

"We were two for 16, you know, from three, and so, one part of the conversation was let's make sure that we're taking the right threes. Let's not just shoot threes to shoot threes, when potentially there might be some drives to the basket, and I think in the second half, the guys did a nice job of attacking and certainly got fouled some, but also got some baskets going to the rim. We limited how many threes we took overall. And then defensively, just being better at the point of the screen. We were getting beaten at the point of the screen way too easily in the first half, and we needed a tougher effort there from our guards, and then also our bigs."

The Bad

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers undoubtedly had another slow start to this game, which has become a habit. Once the first quarter wrapped up, the Eagles were ahead 32-27. Bottom line, Virginia has some tough opponents left on its regular-season schedule, including Duke, Miami and NC State. If they are serious about defeating these ACC opponents, they need to find a way to take an early lead and maintain it.

The Ugly

Virginia Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Cavaliers have consistently struggled with fouling this year, so much so that they lead the ACC with an average of 19.5 fouls per game. The NC State Wolfpack comes in at No. 2 with 19.0, and the Florida State Seminoles land at No. 3 with 19.0 fouls per game. This game was no different—Virginia racked up the fouls, but fortunately, their assertive play is what allowed them to seal the victory.