Preview: Rivne-Oshvsm at Goverla

LVIV, Ukraine (Interstat) — Two teams jockeying for position in the Ukrainian SL Favorit Sport will meet for the third time in a week when Goverla hosts Rivne-Oshvsm on Friday.

The game at Sports Palace Galychyna tips off at 7 p.m. local time.

The season series is tied 1-1 from games played on April 4 and April 7, setting the stage for a decisive rubber match. Goverla (13-15) won the most recent meeting 85-73 on the road Tuesday, while Rivne-Oshvsm (12-16) took the prior contest 79-71 last Saturday.

Both clubs enter with nearly identical records and seek momentum to close the season. Goverla holds a slight edge in the standings.

A key matchup will feature Rivne-Oshvsm forward Yevgen Koroviyakov against Goverla guard LaTerrance Reed. Koroviyakov is coming off a strong 22-point, five-rebound performance in Tuesday’s loss. His production has been variable, however, scoring just six points in the April 4 win over Goverla.

Reed has been a consistent engine for Goverla, averaging 20.5 points and 8.5 assists in the two games against Rivne-Oshvsm this month. His 17 points and eight assists fueled Tuesday’s victory.

The home team has won two of the last three head-to-head meetings. Overall, the teams have split their last four matchups dating to last December.

For Rivne-Oshvsm, support for Koroviyakov will be crucial. Jalen Dupree posted a double-double (16 points, 10 rebounds) in Tuesday’s defeat. Goverla will look for continued balance after Sergey Startsev (15 points) and Roman Morozov (15 points, six rebounds) provided key support for Reed on Tuesday.

The game is the final scheduled meeting between the clubs this regular season.