CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — The Virginia women’s basketball team looks to rebound from a rare conference loss when it hosts Pittsburgh in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup Thursday night at John Paul Jones Arena.

The Cavaliers (13-5) had a four-game winning streak snapped in a 65-58 loss at Duke on Jan. 15. Virginia had previously won a double-overtime thriller at Florida State, 91-87, on Jan. 4, highlighting a strong start to league play. Pittsburgh (8-12) arrives seeking to end a five-game skid, most recently falling 83-76 to SMU on Sunday.

A key matchup will feature two of the league’s top interior defenders. Virginia’s Tabitha Amanze has been a consistent force, averaging 12.5 points and 4.0 blocks over her last six games. She scored 20 points and blocked four shots in the loss to Duke. For the Panthers, Fatima Diakhate is coming off a dominant 16-point, 15-rebound performance against SMU and has recorded 13 blocks in her last five contests.

Virginia’s defense, anchored by Amanze, will be tested by a Pittsburgh offense that showed life despite the loss to SMU, with Mikayla Johnson scoring 20 points and Theresa Hagans adding 16 points and five assists. The Cavaliers have been strong at home this season, including a 76-52 rout of SMU on Dec. 29.

The Panthers have struggled on the road in ACC play, suffering lopsided losses at Louisville and Notre Dame in recent weeks. Containing Virginia’s balanced attack, which features Kymora Johnson and Sa’Myah Smith alongside Amanze, will be a primary challenge.

Thursday’s game is the only regular-season meeting scheduled between the teams. Pittsburgh visits Virginia Tech on Jan. 29, while Virginia hosts North Carolina State on Jan. 25.