GILLETTE, Wyo. (Interstat) — The season is on the line Saturday when the Gillette College Pronghorns host the Trinidad State Trojans in a first-round game of the NJCAA Region IX men’s basketball tournament.

Both teams enter the postseason with identical 13-win records, but with differing momentum. The Pronghorns (13-12) closed the regular season with an 88-74 road victory over Casper on Feb. 28. The Trojans (13-17) have dropped three of their last four, including a 103-84 home loss to McCook in their finale.

The matchup features a contrast in recent form. Gillette has won two straight and three of its last five games. Trinidad State seeks to reverse a trend after losing five of its final seven regular-season contests.

A key player for the Trojans will be Demorae Pritchett. The guard is coming off a 21-point performance in 23 minutes against McCook and has provided scoring punch, including a 14-point, 5-rebound effort in a win over Lamar on Feb. 18.

For Gillette, forward Aly Tapo will look to build on his recent contributions. He logged 19 minutes and scored 11 points with five rebounds in a Feb. 14 game at Northwest, demonstrating his capability as a interior presence.

The teams did not meet during the regular season, adding an element of unpredictability to the win-or-go-home contest. The winner will advance in the Region IX bracket, while the loser’s season will conclude.

The game is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, at Gillette College in Gillette, Wyoming.