Mustapha Farrakhan made his first 11 shots from the field en route to a career-high 31-point night.
The only blemish in the box score: that last missed shot.
Farrakhan’s hot shooting paced a surprising 67 percent shooting night from Virginia in a fast-paced 84-63 win over Howard Tuesday night.
“He was really rolling and had rhythm. You know that feeling when the rim looks that big and it was nice to see,” coach Tony Bennett said after the Cavs had posted their second straight win and 10th of the season on the eve of the start of their ACC home schedule on Saturday against North Carolina.
It was a performance that UVa. needed on the heels of the 64-50 win over LSU on Sunday. The back-to-back wins follow back-to-back home losses to Seattle and Iowa State.
Freshmen Joe Harris (16 points) and KT Harrell (14 points) joined Farrakhan in double figures. Harris and Harrell combined to shoot 11-for-15 from the field, meaning Virginia’s Big Three went a combined 22-for-27 on the night.
Senior forward Mike Scott sat for a third straight game in the aftermath of December ankle surgery. Bennett acknowledged after the game that Scott may need a followup procedure, and answered a reporter’s question about the possibility that Scott may miss the rest of the season by conceding that he is aware that Scott could be eligible for a medical redshirt were he not to return.
“That’s not on the … right now, it’s about seeing, can we get him healthy?” Bennett said.
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Chris Graham
