The Virginia Cavaliers pieced together their most complete 40 minutes of ACC basketball this season by handling the Boston College Eagles 74-56 on Tuesday evening. Virginia built an 18-point lead by halftime and didn’t relent in the second despite an ejection for either team disrupting the flow of play early in the second.

Isaac McKneely (21 points), Andrew Rohde (16), and Elijah Saunders (10) led the Wahoos in scoring as Virginia tied its season high in points. With the team’s first win of 2025, we have five takeaways.

Virginia puts losing skid to bed

Yes, it came against a bad Boston College team. But Virginia ending its five game losing streak and putting one in the win column matters nonetheless.

This team was reeling. Following last week’s deflating loss to SMU at the buzzer and the loss at Louisville, the Cavaliers needed to take care of business against the Eagles to prevent the wheels from completely falling off.

Not only did Virginia earn its second win of ACC play, but the ‘Hoos did so in dominant fashion. Boston College is no powerhouse – the Eagles are 203rd on KenPom and now sit 17th in the ACC. Yet UVA’s 18-point margin of victory is the squad’s second highest of the 2024-25 season.

Sure, there’s not a ton for this team to play for with regard to postseason potential. Wins are wins, though, and this was one that the team needed in a major way. They deserve credit for delivering how they did and giving their fanbase something to be excited about.

UVA avoids ACC basement and keeps ACC Tournament hopes alive

By beating BC, UVA also keeps itself away from the very bottom of the ACC standings. The ‘Hoos are now tied with Georgia Tech for 15th in the conference. Losing to the Eagles would’ve meant dropping into solo 17th place and getting close to kissing an ACC Tournament berth goodbye.

This is, obviously, a standard that the Virginia program and its fans are not accustomed to. However it’s still one that matters. Qualifying for the ACC Tournament is important, if for no other reason than it keeps the team’s season alive.

Wahoo fans are all too aware of how No. 10 seed NC State made its run to an ACC Championship and then the Final Four via the ACC Tournament in 2024. Anyone would be foolish to outright predict that for this UVA team. But such a run is only on the table if UVA keeps moving up in the ACC standings.

Isaac McKneely ends cold streak to give offense life again

Isaac McKneely had made just one of his last 13 three-pointers entering Tuesday night’s action versus the Eagles. It was a rare two games when McKneely consistently missed open shots.

Like the great shooter he is, McKneely came out firing against BC. He hit 6-of-9 threes for 21 points to carry the Virginia offense to a 1.28 point per possession performance. It’s the most efficient (non-adjusted) offensive performance of the season for UVA while also being McKneely’s second-highest point total.

Whether his shots come as he’s flying off a pin down screen, dribbling off a ball screen, or stretching the floor off-ball, McKneely is a joy to watch when he’s tickling the twine.

Andrew Rohde deserves major props

Considering how he played in 2023-24 and the vitriol he faced online, Andrew Rohde’s 2024-25 season has been a major turnaround for the junior guard. There are moments when he commits befuddling turnovers. Yet, for most of the season, he’s been the straw that’s stirred Virginia’s drink on offense.

Of course, this UVA offense is far from elite. Rohde’s effort has been, though. Even while playing through sickness at times, he’s given his all on either end and been the creator and communicator that the ‘Hoos don’t have otherwise.

His 16 point, six assist, four rebound, and zero turnover performance versus Boston College put that full-throttled effort on full display. Rohde attacked off the dribble from the jump, keeping the offense in a flow all night long and ensuring that his teammates were where they needed to be. He’s dished out 39 assists to just seven turnovers over the last eight games.

There are plenty of questions swirling around the Virginia basketball program right now, and rightfully so. Rohde’s effort isn’t one, though, and that means something.

Donald Hand Jr. and Elijah Saunders’ ejections were odd

The 30 second span early in the second half when both Donald Hand Jr. and Elijah Saunders were ejected from the game was a bit of a head scratcher.

Hand Jr. – the son of former Virginia star Donald Hand Sr. – gave Andrew Rohde an elbow before Saunders shoved Chas Kelly in the neck area. Both were reviewed and deemed flagrant fouls worthy of an ejection. Yet neither seemed entirely egregious. Sure, both of them probably deserved to be a flagrant foul that awarded free throws. Ejections felt harsh, though.

In the end, both teams lost their leading scorer and the game proceeded as it had before with the ‘Hoos maintaining their lead en route to the 18-point victory. So, all’s well that ends well. Still, what an odd sequence.