Virginia will look to shoot its way out of a scoring slump when it visits Boston College in their Atlantic Coast Conference matchup on Wednesday night in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
The Cavaliers (20-8, 11-6 ACC) are averaging 63.4 points per game, but they have failed to reach 50 points in any of their last three games — a victory over Wake Forest (49-47) followed by losses to Virginia Tech (75-41) and North Carolina (54-44).
Virginia shot 27.6 percent from the field in Saturday’s loss to then-No. 10 North Carolina. The Cavaliers missed 22 of 23 field-goal attempts during a 15-minute stretch in the first half.
“The offense had a tough day,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “It’s been a common thread the past couple games at that end. We were a little better in the second half. But (opponents are) really keying in on a few guys and really playing off of some others. We tried to get some more movement, and some of those shots we need to finish and knock them down, but you just keep trying to get quality looks and work hard.”
Senior guard Reece Beekman (13.8) and sophomore guard Isaac McKneely (12.2) are the only Virginia players scoring in double figures for the season.
Boston College (15-12, 6-10) may have a tough time scoring as well, since Virginia is giving up 58.4 points per game, the fewest in the ACC and third-best mark in the country.
The Eagles have lost two in a row, including Saturday’s 81-70 setback against NC State in Raleigh, N.C. Quinten Post leads Boston College in scoring (15.9) and rebounding (7.7), but was in foul trouble for much of the NC State game and scored just six points before he fouled out.
Boston College turned the ball over 16 times.
“We just need to be better,” Eagles coach Earl Grant said. “I think the turnovers really flipped the game — 11 in the first half. We try to be 12 and under for the game.
“We’re much better than what we showed (vs. NC State). We just have to get back and work at it and get ready for the next one.”
–Field Level Media