It's not quite do-or-die for the Virginia men's basketball team, but it's close. The Cavaliers will face a tough test Saturday night when Boston College travels to Charlottesville to take on Virginia at John Paul Jones Arena.
The Cavaliers find themselves in the midst of a three-game losing streak and have recently endured blowout losses to Xavier and Duke. As if that was not demoralizing enough, Virginia suffered a heartbreaking loss Wednesday night at home to rival Virginia Tech. While most pundits would agree that it's too early in the season to begin talking about must-win games, tomorrow's game is vital to shaping the rest of the Cavaliers' season.
"You need to be concerned about all ACC games," senior forward Adrian Joseph said. "After a loss like [Virginia Tech] we just need to get back in the gym and get ready for Boston College."
During Wednesday's loss to the Hokies, Virginia appeared to be getting back on track. The Cavaliers held a lead for much of the game and led throughout the overtime period until Virginia Tech forward Deron Washington's last second shot fell in to give the Hokies the win. Though the Cavaliers' loss is a cloud, senior guard Sean Singletary's breakout performance is the silver lining. The captain was firing -- and hitting -- on all cylinders. He finished the game with 34 points and three assists.
On the other hand, such a disheartening loss is cause for concern. Virginia held an eight-point lead with approximately three minutes remaining in the game only to squander it. The Cavaliers also had several opportunities to put the game away in overtime but did not capitalize on their chances. After Wednesday's loss, Virginia coaches and players were noticeably dejected. Virginia coach Dave Leitao was reserved and distant after the game and players seemed shell-shocked.
Sophomore guard Calvin Baker, however, expressed the importance of forgetting Wednesday's disappointment and moving forward.
"We've already moved on," Baker said. "We can't dwell on [Wednesday's] game. It's over, we lost in overtime."
Boston College will bring a young but talented team to Charlottesville Saturday. The Eagles have won five of their last seven games, including a blowout win over Wake Forest and a 10-point win over No. 21 Miami Tuesday. Boston College (12-4, 3-0 ACC) is led by junior guard Tyrese Rice. In the past few seasons Rice has blossomed into one of the conference's top guards and has stepped up this season to fill the void of departed senior forward Jared Dudley, the 2007 ACC Player of the Year. Rice averages 19.6 points per game and 5.3 assists per game. Freshman guard Rakim Sanders and sophomore forward Shamari Spears each average more than 10 points per game. Although this season is seen by many as a rebuilding year for Boston College, the Eagles have already been able to exceed expectations. Considering the fact that Boston College lost Dudley and forward Sean Marshall, a dominant inside presence, this season has gone remarkably well for Coach Al Skinner and his young squad.
In order for Virginia to end its losing streak and come away with a win, it will need to exploit Boston College's inexperienced players. The Eagles' youth has contributed to home losses to Kansas, Robert Morris and Massachusetts. If the Cavaliers can put Wednesday's heartbreaking loss out of mind they might be able to grab their first conference win.
"We're not worried," Baker said. "We're going into the game confidently. We know what their strengths and weaknesses are and we'll just go in there and try to execute our game plan. Hopefully we'll come out with a win"
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