Three takeaways from UVA basketball’s dominant win over American

Virginia basketball had no problem handling its business at home against American on Monday night, cruising to a 95-51 win to move to 11-1 on the year. Freshman Thijs De Ridder led the way with 27 points on 11-of-15 from the floor, while four other Cavaliers scored in double figures.

The Cavaliers now have eight full days off before they begin ACC play against rival Virginia Tech next Wednesday in Blacksburg. For UVA guard Jacari White, that break could not come at a better time as he was unable to play on Monday due to a non-shooting hand wrist injury he suffered against Maryland on Saturday.

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Without the shooting prowess of White, Virginia still shot an impressive 62.3% from the floor, largely as a result of dominating the interior to the tune of 56 points in the paint. On the other end of the floor, American struggled offensively, shooting just 31.7% from the field and 22.9% from the perimeter.

All told, it was a dominant performance for the Cavaliers on both ends in their penultimate game of the calendar year. Here are three takeaways from the 44-point win:

Thijs De Ridder returned to dominant form.

After scoring only five points on a season-worst 1-of-8 from the floor against Maryland on Saturday, De Ridder had no trouble finding his groove against the Eagles, scoring 13 of Virginia’s first 17 points and hitting five of his first six shots and seven of his first nine.

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The Belgian big man found success in the paint, beating his man off the dribble, and shooting from the perimeter. In the first half alone, he was 8-of-10 from the floor, including a trio of three-pointers on four attempts. His 21-point first half was the difference for UVA in the opening 20 minutes as the Cavaliers took a 45-25 lead into the break.

With the Eagles lacking an answer for him no matter where he was on the floor, De Ridder finished with 27 points and eight rebounds as the Cavaliers cruised to a comfortable win.

Virginia’s defense made things difficult for American all…

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Publish date : 2025-12-23 01:34:00

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