WSU men’s basketball will look to rebound from two consecutive losses when the team travels to face University of Texas, El Paso, on Saturday.

WSU started the season with six straight wins, including one against No. 21 Saint Mary’s College in the Wooden Legacy Tournament en route to claiming the tourney championship.

But they’ve dropped their past two games by double digits. The Cougars lost 81-67 to University of California, Davis, last Saturday and fell 64-91 to University of Idaho, their Palouse rival, on Wednesday. They trailed early in both games and attempted to climb back from a 19-point halftime deficit against Idaho and a 17-point deficit against UC Davis.

WSU Head Coach Ernie Kent said his team is still learning how to deal with adversity.

“When you jump out to 6-0, you’re still a very young basketball team that’s got a lot of uncharted waters,” Kent said. “[Idaho] is the first opponent that we’ve played on their home floor, and now they can get a real good feel for what that sounds like and what it feels like.”

WSU’s opponent on Saturday won its first game of the season, but lost its next six games. The Miners won their last game, however, with an 88-76 victory over the University of New Mexico last Saturday.

WSU sophomore point guard Malachi Flynn has been averaging nearly 17 points per game this season, including a 26-point effort with four assists against the Gaels earlier this season.

The Cougars will be looking to get back on track against UTEP before they begin conference play against UCLA on Dec. 29.

Kent said he wants his team to focus on improving and not worry about their record.

“It’s a long season. You don’t get too up when you’re 6-0, and you don’t get too down,” he said. “You just get ready for the next one, because there is so much basketball left.”

Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday against UTEP at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso.