Three Key Takeaways From Virginia Basketball’s Victory Over Pittsburgh

The Virginia Cavaliers secured another victory tonight.

Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers added another victory to their resume after defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers by a score of 67-47. The Cavaliers continue to rise in the ACC, bringing their overall record to 19-3 and 8-2 in conference play.

With their first game of February under their belt, let's take a look at some of the key takeaways from the matchup.

Malik Thomas Heats Up Early

Virginia Cavaliers guard Malik Thomas | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Senior Malik Thomas didn't take long to get started tonight. Shortly after tipoff, the 6'5" guard posted five points, placing Virginia on the board. He finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists while shooting 40.0% from the floor.

This brings his season averages to 13 points, four rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Ultimately, without Thomas giving UVA an early lead, the final score would have ended up quite a bit tighter.

UVA Finally Claims Early Lead

Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

This has been an ongoing struggle for the Cavaliers—they have a tendency to wait until the second half to surge ahead, and even then, the final score is often tight. However, with Thomas entering the game red-hot tonight, UVA was given a bit of a boost right off the bat.

Sam Lewis led both programs with 15 points, while Pittsburgh's Nojus Indrusaitis trailed with 11. Thijs De Ridder and Thomas tied with 10 points, and between this trio, Virginia was able to rally for another win.

Big Night for Thijs De Ridder

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

Although freshman Thijs De Ridder didn't lead Virginia in points tonight—that title belongs to Lewis this time around—he did lead the Cavaliers with 12 rebounds. Not only was he a primary contributor once again, but he also posted the third double-double of his 2025-26 campaign. This wasn't his most productive night in terms of scoring, but his rebounding was a major asset on the court.

The 6'9" forward now brings his season averages to 17 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. Tonight alone, he recorded 10 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

Virginia's next game is scheduled for Feb. 7 at 12 p.m. ET against Syracuse. This will be another home matchup for the Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena. As always, this is an opportunity for them to build their record, and at this point, a victory would place them on a four-game winning streak, further cementing themselves in the ACC.

The weeks ahead will be incredibly challenging, but if Virginia can show up in the same form they did tonight, they could bag several victories this month.