Preview: Louisville Cardinals at Stanford Cardinal

PALO ALTO, Calif. (Interstat) — A top-10 showdown highlights the Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball slate Thursday as the Louisville Cardinals visit the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion.

Louisville (19-3) arrives riding a nine-game winning streak, most recently an 85-56 rout of Boston College on Saturday. The Cardinals have been dominant in ACC play, with their last loss coming in mid-December.

Stanford (15-6), however, looks to bounce back from a tough 78-71 overtime loss at California last Sunday. The Cardinal have struggled for consistency in conference action, alternating wins and losses over their past six games.

The matchup features a compelling battle in the paint. Louisville’s Laura Ziegler has been a versatile force, averaging 9.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocks over her last seven games. She posted 18 points and nine rebounds in a win over Virginia Tech earlier this month.

Stanford will counter with center Alexandra Eschmeyer, whose production has fluctuated but who poses a major rim-protecting threat. She blocked six shots against Wake Forest on Jan. 8 and swatted four while scoring 16 points in the overtime loss to Cal. Containing Eschmeyer’s defensive presence will be a key for Louisville’s offensive flow.

The Cardinals boast a balanced attack. In the win over Boston College, Mackenly Randolph contributed 13 points and six rebounds off the bench, while guard Imari Berry added nine points and three blocks.

Stanford’s Lara Somfai and Chloe Clardy, who combined for 31 points against Cal, will need to provide perimeter scoring to stretch the Louisville defense.

This contest begins a challenging two-game road swing for Louisville, which visits California on Sunday. Stanford continues a grueling stretch, hosting Notre Dame next.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. PST Thursday at Maples Pavilion.