Preview: Samara Faces Neftyanik in Women’s Basketball Clash

OMSK, Russia (Interstat) — Two teams at the bottom of the standings seek momentum when Samara visits Neftyanik in a Russian women’s professional basketball game Monday.

The matchup at Omsk features Samara (10-20) against Neftyanik (7-23). Despite their records, both clubs enter with recent success. Samara has won two straight, including an 82-78 victory over Ivanovo on Friday. Neftyanik snapped a five-game skid with a 60-56 win over Ivanovo on Thursday before falling to Dynamo Novosibirsk on Friday.

The season series favors the home team. Neftyanik has won all three meetings this season, most recently a 73-66 road victory on April 1.

A key player for Samara is forward Sabina Abaidullina, who is coming off a dominant 30-point, four-rebound, four-assist performance in Friday’s win. She averaged 15.7 points over her last three games. For Neftyanik, guard Maria Yachmennikova will be relied upon after posting 12 points and five rebounds in her last outing.

In their April 1 meeting, Neftyanik held Samara to 66 points. Samara’s center Viktoriya Scherbakova, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds Friday, will be crucial in challenging Neftyanik’s interior defense, anchored by center Anna Pachurina.

Both teams face a compact schedule. Samara will host Dynamo Novosibirsk on Tuesday, while Neftyanik will face the same opponent on Wednesday.

Monday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. local time.