Preview: Pittsburgh Panthers at No. -- Virginia Tech Hokies

BLACKSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — The Virginia Tech women’s basketball team, riding a five-game winning streak, will look to continue its surge in Atlantic Coast Conference play when it hosts struggling Pittsburgh on Thursday night at Cassell Coliseum.

The Hokies (16-5 overall) have rebounded strongly from back-to-back losses to open January, averaging 78.2 points during their current win streak. They are coming off an 85-57 road rout of Wake Forest last Saturday. Guard Carleigh Wenzel has been a catalyst, averaging 17.8 points and 4.0 assists over the last six contests. She scored 19 points with six assists against the Demon Deacons.

Pittsburgh (8-14) arrives mired in a six-game losing skid, most recently a 95-41 home defeat to then-Duke on Jan. 24. The Panthers have struggled offensively during the slump, failing to reach 70 points in any of the six losses and being held under 50 three times.

A key matchup will feature Pittsburgh’s Mikayla Johnson against Virginia Tech’s perimeter defense. Johnson, the Panthers’ most consistent scoring threat, is averaging 13.0 points per game in ACC play. She scored 20 points in a narrow loss to SMU on Jan. 18 and 19 against Florida State on Jan. 15. Containing her will be a focus for a Hokies defense allowing just 57.4 points per game during their winning streak.

Virginia Tech has dominated recent meetings, winning the last eight matchups against Pittsburgh. The Hokies won both contests last season by an average of 28.5 points.

The game tips off at 8 p.m. EST as part of the ACC’s regular-season schedule. Virginia Tech will look to solidify its position in the upper tier of the conference standings, while Pittsburgh seeks a desperately needed signature road victory to halt its slide.

Following this game, Virginia Tech will prepare for a Commonwealth clash against Virginia on Sunday. Pittsburgh’s next outing is at home against Stanford on Feb. 5.