NORFOLK, Va. – The Monarchs basketball team received an assist from the Magnolia State Thursday night.

Southern Mississippi’s victory vs. Texas-San Antonio puts the Old Dominion men’s basketball team in position to earn the top-seed in the top pod of Conference USA’s groundbreaking new bonus play schedule. To read more on the new C-USA Bonus Play Schedule, please CLICK HERE.

Thursday, USM’s 78-71 defeat of UTSA gives the Monarchs (20-and-6, 10-and-3 C-USA) a full-game lead over the Roadrunners and Western Kentucky. Should ODU beat last place Charlotte Saturday, the Monarchs will earn the top-seed in the top pod of the bonus play schedule.

“We’re fighting like crazy to do everything we can to stay in first position,” ODU head men’s basketball coach Jeff Jones admitted Thursday. “To be that top seed, you benefit from the advantages built in.”

As the number one seed, the Monarchs would earn a home game vs. the numbers two and three seeds while traveling to face numbers four and five. The league’s bonus play schedule will be released Saturday evening.

Tip-off between ODU and Charlotte is set for 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center.