GALLATIN, Tenn. (Interstat) — A tight conference race and a recent nail-biter between the two teams set the stage for Saturday’s men’s junior college basketball rematch as the Roane State Raiders visit the Volunteer State Pioneers.

The Raiders (10-9) edged the Pioneers (6-13) 80-73 just over a month ago on Jan. 17 in Harriman. Roane State enters with momentum from a 74-70 road win at Chattanooga State on Wednesday. Volunteer State looks to rebound from a difficult 83-59 loss at Dyersburg State the same night.

A key matchup will feature Roane State’s Mikey Carpenter against Volunteer State’s Maxwell Moore. Carpenter is coming off a highly efficient performance, scoring 16 points on just one made field goal, adding four assists in the win over Chattanooga State. Moore logged 26 minutes in the Pioneers’ last outing and has been a consistent presence in their rotation during recent conference play.

Roane State’s recent form has been uneven, with a 42-point loss to Columbia State on Feb. 14 followed by close wins over Pellissippi State and Dyersburg. Volunteer State has struggled for consistency, but showed potency in an 82-70 win at Southwest Tennessee on Feb. 4 and a narrow 66-64 victory at Motlow State on Jan. 31.

The Interstat game simulator projects a dead-even contest, predicting a 100-100 final score, underscoring the potential for another dramatic finish. Both teams will look to this game for crucial momentum heading into the final stretch of the season. Roane State travels to Southwest Tennessee on Monday, while Volunteer State hosts Chattanooga State the same day.

Tipoff is set for Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Volunteer State’s home court.