Despite the Virginia men’s basketball team’s loss on Tuesday, Reece Beekman put together another impressive night as he continues his strong senior season. Pitt’s Blake Hinson attracted much of the game’s attention and rightfully so considering he finished with 27 points and the Panthers walked away with the win. Beekman more than anyone knows that this team needs to get ready for Wake Forest and shift the focus away from this loss, but his play should certainly still be recognized and highlighted.

The senior guard finished Tuesday night with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 8-14 (57.1%) from the field, while 3-4 (75.0%) from the free throw line. It’s the third game this season that Beekman scored 15+ points while also adding 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists. The other two came against Northeastern and Georgia Tech.

Beekman made an effort to get to the paint against Pitt. A number of times he used picks to create some space and drive to the rim. From there, he’d either shoot a simple floater or draw the attention of the Pitt defenders before dropping it off for an assist. Early into the second half, Beekman came tight off a pick and lobbed the ball high in the air for Blake Buchanan who rose up for the alley-oop slam. The dunk gave Virginia a 40-38 lead and forced a Pitt timeout.

Ultimately fouls were an issue for Beekman in the loss. He picked up his third with 13:49 left in the game and the score tied at 47-47. Coach Tony Bennett opted to sub him out for a little to limit the possibility of him fouling out. It ended up being his last foul of the game, but Pitt went on a small run in his absence and took control of the game for the last 10 minutes.

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