No. 6 Virginia suffered one of its worst losses of the season, falling 63-48 at Boston College on Wednesday. The defeat drops the Wahoos to 21-5 overall and 13-4 in ACC play while also adding what currently stands as a Quad 3 loss to their NCAA Tournament profile.
Boston College grabbed control of the game early and never looked back, with Virginia's last lead coming when the score was 13-11 and 15-15 being the final time the game was tied. Credit Earl Grant's Eagles not only for jumping on a Virginia team that has been floundering a bit recently but coming up with answers every time their top 10-ranked foes were able to make a charge to cut into the lead. Makai Ashton-Langford finished with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and Boston College shot 52% from the field as a team against one of the best defenses in the ACC.
plenty of time for Makai Ashton-Langford ⌚️
— BC Men's Basketball (@BCMBB) February 23, 2023
26-17 Eagles with 2:24 to go in the first. pic.twitter.com/l8xUqiQzvp
As expected, the celebration for a home win against a top-10 team warranted a big-time celebration of from the fans in Conte Forum. This is the Eagles' third home win against a team ranked in the top 25 this season, but taking down perennial power Virginia does carry different weight than knocking off then-ranked Virginia Tech in December or then-ranked Clemson in January.
A little razzle dazzle! ✨
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) February 23, 2023
Prince Aligbe with the SLAM!@BCMBB | @prince_buckets pic.twitter.com/l8vSydSXLf
For Virginia, the loss could cost the team a seed line in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. There is plenty of time left for pieces to move, but CBS Sports Bracketology Expert Jerry Palm notes that the loss to Boston College could "likely" drop the team from its current projection of a 3-seed in the field of 68. Virginia also falls into a three-way tie in the loss column of the ACC standings as Miami moves into first place with a 14-4 league record with two games remaining. The Wahoos and Pitt are both 13-4 with three games left to play in the regular season.