SAMARA, Russia (Interstat) — A surging Uralmash looks to solidify its standing Wednesday when it visits a struggling Samara squad in a VTB United League matchup at SKK Drorec Sporta.

Uralmash (8-6 across all competitions) enters on a two-game winning streak, including an impressive 82-69 road victory over Zenit St. Petersburg on April 7. Power forward Octavius Ellis led the way in that contest, posting 21 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes. Ellis, a key player to watch, is averaging 13.7 points and 6.0 rebounds over his last three games.

They face a Samara team mired in a profound slump, with a season record of 2-33. Samara has lost six consecutive games, most recently falling 76-65 at Parma Basket Perm on April 8. In that loss, center Dmitrii Khaldeev provided a bright spot with 16 points and four rebounds. Khaldeev, who had a near double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds against CSKA Moscow on April 4, will be central to any Samara hopes for an upset.

The teams met just over a month ago on March 4, with Uralmash escaping Samara with a narrow 73-69 victory. Uralmash has shown strong form on the road lately, winning three of its last four away games, including the victories at Zenit and UNICS Kazan.

For Samara, the search for consistency continues. Their last win came on Feb. 12. Guard Mikhail Kulagin, who had 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the last outing, will need to orchestrate an efficient offense to challenge Uralmash’s momentum.

The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. local tipoff Wednesday.