In the second and third games of a five-game, season-opening road trip, the Washington University men’s basketball team defeated the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Friday, 62-57, but suffered its first loss to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Saturday, 64-49. The team now stands at 2-1 on the season.

In Friday’s game, neither team led by more than four points for the entire first half, but the Bears readjusted in the second half, exploding on a 10-0 run and leading by as much as 14 points with 7:55 remaining in the game.

“[At the half] we just settled down and started focusing in on things that were very simple in our offense rather than making it too difficult,” head coach Mark Edwards said. “It was productive, and we were able to get some points that way.”

Senior Caleb Knepper posted a game-high 17 points, featuring a career-high five three-pointers, while senior Spencer Gay contributed 16 points and led the team with nine rebounds. The Bears also shot 48.6 percent from the field.

“It’s very important that the veteran members of the team come out and set a good tone for the rest of the team,” Knepper said. “It doesn’t always have to be points, but just the attitude and the type of things we want to get on a day-in-day-out basis.”

The Bears could not continue the success on Saturday against UW-Platteville, however, as they shot only 34.6 percent from the field and failed to score at least 50 points for the first time since the 2003-2004 season. The team also committed 17 turnovers in the game.

“We still got pretty good shots on Saturday, we just didn’t make them,” Edwards said. “If we had made some of the big shots we had or made more free throws, we would have had a much better chance at winning that game.”

While junior Alex Toth posted his second double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 boards and freshman Alan Aboona led the team with 11 points, it was not enough to overcome the Pioneers.

“It’s [about] getting together our offense,” Toth said. “We have young point guards, and some young players. It’s just getting that experience, getting that team chemistry.”

Edwards and Toth specifically pointed out that the defense on Saturday was very strong, but the team is still working on its offensive execution. They agreed that consistent scoring will eventually come.

“Obviously in just five weeks of practice, it’s tough to handle game situations,” Toth explained. “It’s just going to be a matter of time before we’re all comfortable playing together.”

As the Bears continue to establish a new identity after losing four of last year’s starters, the team has appeared to compensate through depth and scoring off the bench. Non-starters scored 31 points on Friday and amassed 20 points on Saturday. Coming from past teams that largely centered on individual offensive playmakers, the team has embraced this new strategy.

“Every day we are going to learn more about both the team and the individuals that are involved, and I think that’s just part of the process,” Edwards said. “[We’re still working on] figuring out how we are going to get points, who’s going to be able to get them, what the best combination is at one time on the floor, [and] what our strengths are.”

The Bears continue their road trip tonight at 7:30 P.M. as they travel to Rock Island, Ill., to take on Augustana College.