CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — Two teams with matching ambitions and nearly identical records will meet Wednesday when the Howard Lady Bison visit the Virginia Cavaliers in a nonconference women’s basketball matchup. Howard (7-4) arrives at John Paul Jones Arena following a narrow 63-59 road loss at Old Dominion on Sunday. Virginia (7-3) enters riding momentum from an emphatic 81-55 Atlantic Coast Conference road win at Boston College the same day. The game features a compelling backcourt duel between two dynamic guards. Howard’s Zennia Thomas has been a consistent offensive force, scoring 21 points in the loss to Old Dominion and averaging 18.2 points over her last five games. She has topped 20 points in four games this season. Virginia counters with Paris Clark, a versatile contributor who filled the stat sheet with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win at Boston College. Her playmaking will be key against Howard’s pressure defense. The Lady Bison have shown resilience on the road, posting a 5-3 record away from Washington, D.C., including a notable early-season win at George Washington. However, they have struggled against power-conference opponents, with losses at Purdue, Syracuse and VCU. Virginia has dominated at home, winning all five contests in Charlottesville by an average margin of 41.2 points. Their defense has been stifling in those games, holding visitors to an average of just 46.6 points. The Cavaliers’ losses have come against Vanderbilt, Nebraska and Maryland-Baltimore County. Wednesday’s contest represents a final nonconference test for both sides before holiday breaks. Howard will look to secure a signature road victory, while Virginia aims to maintain its home-court dominance and build consistency before ACC play intensifies in January. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST.