Wahoo Preview: No. 6 Virginia at Boston College

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Posted on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, 8:00 am

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By Scott Ratcliffe

Photo: UVA Athletics

No. 6 Virginia looks for a season sweep against Boston College Wednesday night in Chestnut Hill, with tip off set for 7 p.m. (RSN/ACCNX).

The Cavaliers (21-4, 13-3 ACC) will also need a win to stay atop the ACC standings, as Miami (14-4) and Pitt (13-4) are right on their heels with just a few games left in the regular season.

A victory would inch UVA closer to locking up a top-four seed and a first-round bye in next monthโ€™s ACC Tournament in Greensboro.

In the first meeting against BC on Jan. 28 in Charlottesville, Both Armaan Franklin and Jayden Gardner scored 18 points to lead the way, as the Cavaliers used a decisive scoring run in each half in an easy 76-57 win.

After failing to reach double figures against both Virginia Tech and NC State (2 for 14, 1 for 5 from deep in those two games), Franklin is averaging 16.3 points over his last three outings (18 for 32, 6 for 14).

Kihei Clark became the all-time assist leader in UVA history against the Fighting Irish over the weekend. Heโ€™s averaging 15 points and 5 assists across his last three games.

Virginia has won four games in a row, but struggled in the last two against Louisville and Notre Dame, two teams at the bottom of the conference standings, winning those two by a combined five points.

Against Boston College, UVA has also taken the last four meetings and 14 of the 22 as conference foes, but is only 5-5 all-time when playing in Chestnut Hill.

After defeating then-first-place Clemson at Conte Forum on Jan. 31, the Eagles (13-15, 7-10) have dropped their last two home games, by nine against Syracuse and by 30 against NC State. BC is 4-4 at Conte Forum in conference games, while the Wahoos are 5-3 on the ACC road this season.

Senior 7-footer Quentin Post (16.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) put up a game-high 24 points in the first meeting against the Hoos, but a lot of that production occurred before halftime. Post scored 14-straight points for the Eagles in the first half, but the Cavaliers were eventually able to figure out a way to limit his output.

Post is coming off a 21-point performance against Florida State in which he was 5 for 5 from 3-point land. Heโ€™s scored 20 or more in 6 of his 15 games this season, including in three of his last four.

Senior guard Makai Ashton-Langford (12.0 ppg) was the only other Eagle in double figures in the previous meeting with the Cavaliers, as he finished with 12 points.

Jaeden Zackery (10.0 ppg) and DeMarr Langford Jr. (7.1 ppg) are two other BC guards to keep an eye on, while young forwards Prince Aligbe and Devin McGlockton have been improving throughout the season.

UVA is a 9-point favorite to make it five-straight against the Eagles this evening.