SANTO DOMINGO (Interstat) — Soles will host Fuerza Regia on Wednesday at Soles Court in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in a matchup between one of the top teams in the standings and a visitor looking to close the gap.

Soles enters with a 17-3 season record, while Fuerza Regia is 12-7. Soles has been especially strong at home, and its recent form includes a decisive win over Diablos Rojos in its most recent game. Dragan Apic is the player to watch for Soles. In that most recent outing, Apic finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and one assist in 20 minutes. He has been consistent across recent games, with efforts that include 10 points and five rebounds in 13 minutes at Dorados, 13 points and two rebounds in 15 minutes at Dorados, and 11 points and three rebounds in 23 minutes against Panteras. Apic also had 15 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes against Diablos Rojos.

Fuerza Regia will counter with Joshua Ibarra, who has been productive throughout the recent stretch. In his latest game, a loss at Jal. Astros, Ibarra recorded 23 points, 10 rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 23 minutes. He had 24 points and 16 rebounds in 28 minutes in a win at Jal. Astros, and he posted 18 points and 12 rebounds against El Calor de Cancun. Ibarra also scored 18 points with three rebounds and two blocks in another meeting with El Calor de Cancun, and he has added games of 19 points and eight rebounds against Mineros and 22 points and eight rebounds in another Mineros matchup.

The teams have met recently, with Soles taking the most recent head-to-head matchup 49-38. That result gives Soles additional confidence, though Fuerza Regia has shown the ability to score during its recent schedule. Joseph Avila and Daniel Bejarano also contributed in Fuerza Regia’s latest game, with Avila adding five points, eight rebounds and five assists and Bejarano adding eight points, five rebounds and two assists. For Soles, Connor Milton Zinaich had 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists in the most recent win, while Brayan Martinez added eight points, four rebounds and two assists.

Soles will look to use its home court and depth to control tempo, while Fuerza Regia will rely on Ibarra’s inside scoring and rebounding to stay close. The game is scheduled for Wednesday at Soles Court.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Soles 85, Fuerza Regia 79. Interstat’s ELO system gives Soles a 75 percent probability to win.