Western Kentucky faced an unenviable task when it started bonus play on the road for its first two games.

The Hilltoppers earned a split, losing Feb. 23 at Old Dominion and then gutting out a close win Thursday at Alabama-Birmingham.

Now, the schedule turns in WKU’s favor as the team returns home for its final two regular-season games.

The first of those comes Sunday when the Toppers (17-12 overall, 10-6 Conference USA) host Southern Mississippi (17-10, 9-6) at E.A. Diddle Arena. Stadium on Facebook will broadcast the game online.

“It feels good to get a win on the road and come home for the next two games,” guard Taveion Hollingsworth said Thursday after a 73-67 victory in Birmingham, Ala.

“We’re ready to go home. I feel like we get more love there.”

WKU is 9-3 this season in Bowling Green, compared to an 8-9 record on road and neutral courts. Coach Rick Stansbury’s squad won five straight on its home floor before UAB came in Feb. 16 and scored a 68-60 win.

The Hilltoppers avenged that defeat Thursday with their six-point win in Bartow Arena. Center Charles Bassey battled for 18 points and 13 rebounds against the Blazers, while Hollingsworth scored 15 of his 17 points after halftime.

Thursday’s win has WKU sitting alone in second place behind only ODU (23-6, 13-3), which has already clinched the league’s regular-season championship.

The Tops are in the driver’s seat for the No. 2 seed at the Conference USA Tournament, which starts March 13 in Frisco, Texas. The easiest way for WKU to clinch that seed would be to beat USM on Sunday and Texas-San Antonio on Wednesday.

“We’re glad we got (back-to-back road games) behind us, and we’re glad we got a W,” Stansbury said. “We’ll come back home and get ready for a really good Southern Miss team.”

The Hilltoppers hope to be at full strength for Sunday’s meeting with the Golden Eagles.

Bassey went down in the final minute Thursday at UAB holding his right knee and didn’t return to the game. Stansbury said afterward he thought Bassey was fine, but team spokesman Zach Greenwell on Saturday told the Daily News that the freshman is “day-to-day.”

It was Bassey who powered WKU to a win Jan. 24 in the team’s first meeting with USM. He went for 14 points and 17 rebounds, Jared Savage added 14 points and the Toppers got by the Golden Eagles 66-63 in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Southern Miss followed that defeat with six straight victories to earn a spot in C-USA’s top five-team tier for bonus play. The Golden Eagles enter Sunday’s matchup tied for third in the league with UTSA (15-13, 9-6).

Coach Doc Sadler’s guard-heavy squad relies on its offensive efficiency. USM averages an opponent-adjusted 107.6 points per 100 possessions during conference play – second-best in C-USA – per Ken Pomeroy data.

Cortez Edwards (14.5 points per game), Tyree Griffin (13.2 ppg), LaDavius Draine (10.8 ppg) and Leonard Harper-Baker (10 ppg) all score in double figures. Griffin posts 6.9 assists per game, while Edwards averages 6.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals.

“Remember this with Southern Miss, they’re one of those hard teams to guard,” Stansbury said. “They’re small, they’re quick and they’re experienced. They’ve been very good. …

“So we’re glad we’re at home, but it won’t be easy Sunday afternoon.”

Notes

WKU has hit at least one 3-pointer in 1,005 straight games dating back to March 15, 1987. … Bassey ranks sixth on the Hilltoppers’ list for single-season blocks (68) and fourth in freshman scoring (434). He already owns program freshman records for rebounds (290) and blocked shots. … Bassey could become the only freshman in the country since 1992 to average 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game, while also shooting at least 60 percent from the field. … In the last eight games, WKU guard Lamonte Bearden has 54 combined assists against just 13 turnovers. He leads C-USA in conference play with a 3.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. … Hollingsworth needs just 84 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

Southern Mississippi (17-10, 9-6) at Western Kentucky (17-12, 10-6)

2 p.m. Sunday, E.A. Diddle Arena

Probable starters

Southern Miss

Cortez Edwards, g, 6-2, sr. (14.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg); Tim Rowe, c, 6-11, r-jr. (6.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg); Kevin Holland, g, 5-10, r-sr. (4.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg); Leonard Harper-Baker, f, 6-6, r-jr. (10 ppg, 8.2 rpg); Tyree Griffin, g, 5-10, r-sr. (13.2 ppg, 6.9 apg)

Western Kentucky

Lamonte Bearden, g, 6-3, r-sr. (8.9 ppg, 4.2 apg); Taveion Hollingsworth, g, 6-2, so. (14.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg); Josh Anderson, g, 6-6, so. (12 ppg, 4 rpg); Jared Savage, g/f, 6-5, r-jr. (12.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg); Charles Bassey, c, 6-11, fr. (15 ppg, 10 rpg)

Broadcast

Stadium on Facebook

Radio

100.7-FM

Coaches

Doc Sadler (53-91, fifth year; 202-198 overall), Southern Miss; Rick Stansbury (59-40, third year; 352-206 overall), Western Kentucky

Series record

WKU leads 9-1 (WKU won last meeting 66-63 on Jan. 24 in Hattiesburg, Miss.)

Last time out

Southern Miss lost 76-72 at home in overtime Feb. 23 to UAB; WKU won 73-67 on Thursday at UAB