PLEVEN, Bulgaria (Interstat) — Euroins Cherno More visits Spartak Pleven on Friday at Balkanstroy in a Bulgarian NBL matchup featuring two teams trending in opposite directions.

Euroins Cherno More (22-8 overall) boasts the league’s second-best record and has won four of its last five games. The visiting side is coming off a 104-87 victory at Shumen on April 25, where forward Georgi Boyanov posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. Boyanov, a key interior presence, has averaged 14 points and 5.7 rebounds over his past three outings, including a 14-point, four-rebound effort in a 117-76 win over Beroe Stara Zagora on April 16.

Spartak Pleven (16-14) has dropped three straight, most recently an 88-109 loss at Rilski Sportist on April 25. Guard Pavlin Ivanov led Spartak in that game with 20 points, six assists and two rebounds in 33 minutes. Over his last five contests, Ivanov has averaged 16.2 points and 4.4 assists, including a 23-point, four-rebound, four-assist performance in an overtime win against Akademic Plovdiv on April 16.

The head-to-head series favors Spartak, which has won three of the last four meetings. The teams split the most recent two games: Spartak won 83-78 at home on Jan. 16 and 82-80 on the road on March 28. However, a scheduled meeting on April 29 — just two days before Friday’s contest — was not played or resulted in a 0-0 final, according to league records.

Euroins Cherno More’s depth has been evident beyond Boyanov. In the win over Shumen, guards Ventsislav Petkov (15 points, eight assists) and Darrell Davis (16 points, five rebounds, four assists) also contributed. The team’s balanced scoring has produced at least 103 points in five of its last seven games.

Spartak, meanwhile, has relied heavily on Ivanov and forward Martin Sotirov, who had 15 points and six rebounds in the loss to Rilski Sportist. Center Noel Brown added 18 points and four rebounds in that game. The home side’s defense has been inconsistent, allowing 109 points in its last outing and 85 or more in three of its last four defeats.

Friday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. local time. Euroins Cherno More looks to tighten its hold on second place in the standings, while Spartak aims to snap its skid and climb above .500 in league play.