CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Thijs DeRidder was less than satisfied with his play in his past few outings, including his 1 for 8 shooting performance in Saturday’s win over Maryland. He talked through his struggles his coaches Sunday, then came out and buried them – along with visiting American – on Monday night.

“I was just extremely focused,” the Belgian power forward said.

DeRidder scored a college career-high 27 points and had eight rebounds as No. 23 Virginia roughed up visiting American 95-51, winning their sixth straight. The Cavaliers have scored at least 80 points in all 11 of their victories so far this season under new coach Ryan Odom.

DeRidder finished 11 for 15 from the floor, including 3 for 4 from 3-point range.

“He played with more purpose today,” Odom said. “He’s a beast. He’s a really good player. And when he lets the game come to him, but then attacks when it’s there, he’s really good.”

Malik Thomas, Sam Lewis and Elijah Gertrude each scored 11 for Virginia, which got 10 from Chase Mallory.

DeRidder hit one of two free throws 58 seconds into the contest to give UVA a 1-0 lead it would never relinquish.

“This is year 3 for me,” American coach Duane Simpkins said. “We played Carolinas and we played the Villanovas. This is the best team, from top to bottom, I think we have competed against. We competed against teams with size and length and everything but they are together, they’re connected and they can really, really shoot. It’s a good test for us. That’s a potential national championship team, I think.”

UVA’s played without one of its top scorers off the bench Jacari White, who sat out the game with a fractured left wrist and will undergo surgery Tuesday. White injured himself in Saturday’s home win over Maryland when he fell to the court after throwing down a dunk that earned the top spot on ESPN’s SportsCenter that night.

Monday, White – who averages 10.9 points per game – wore a cast on his left hand and lower wrist.

Gertrude, who missed last season after injuring his knee in a scooter accident, had his best game of the season, going 4 for 4 from the floor, including knocking down both of his 3-point attempts. Gertrude logged a season-high 15 minutes. Most of that – eight points and 13 minutes – came in the second half.

DeRidder ruled the first 20 minutes, scoring 21 of his points before the break.

But his most memorable play of the night came with 9:43 left to play.

After a Malik Thomas steal, Sam Lewis got the ball to DeRidder on a 3-on-1 fast break. DeRidder skied over a defender and flushed a ferocious one-handed dunk, giving him both his highest point total as a collegiate player and his most impressive highlight since coming stateside.

And afterward, DeRidder said the slam mirrored the best dunk of his career, one he threw down in Greece playing for the Belgian national under-20 team.

“That was also on a fast break, one leg jumper, so same situation,” DeRidder said with a smile. “Then on the body.”