Virginia broke a five-game losing streak with a 74-56 win over Boston College.
The Cavaliers (9-10, 2-6) were 11-20 from the three-point line. Isaac McKneely led Virginia with 21 points on 7-10 shooting (6-9 from the three-point line).
The Fighting Irish blew a 17-point lead in their 77-69 loss at Syracuse.
Keys:
Elijah Saunders
Saunders is Virginia’s most effective three-level scorer. If Saunders can get Tae Davis in foul trouble, that would be a plus and help the Cavaliers on the boards.
Saunders was off to a good start against Boston College (10 points and six rebounds) before he was ejected. The call was flimsy at best.
Win the Three-Point Line
It’s not controversial to say that Virginia is limited on offense. No matter how good the defense is, you need to score points in today’s college basketball.
The Cavaliers were successful against Boston College by weaponizing the three-point line. This strategy opens up driving lanes for Andrew Rohde and Dai Dai Ames and helps isolate Saunders in space or on the block.
Running Notre Dame off the three-point line is important. If Braeden Shrewsberry and Matt Allocco start hitting threes, that helps Markus Burton get to the front of the basket, get to his pull-up game, and hit an occasional three himself.
Get to the Line
One way to get to Notre Dame is by getting its better players in foul trouble. The Fighting Irish’s bench has yet to prove that it can consistently contribute.
It’s what helped Syracuse come back. By the time the game was down the stretch, Burton, Davis, and Kebba Njie had four fouls.
Free throws would also slow down Notre Dame’s offense and give them more possessions against a set defense.
