Kansas University's Nicole Cauzillo, left, collides with Missouri State goalie Jackie Jasper near the end of the Jayhawks' 2-0 victory. KU picked up its first victory of the season Wednesday at Jayhawk Soccer Complex.

You can’t win, a long-forgotten ancient philosopher said, by losing.

So when Kansas University’s soccer team dropped Missouri State, 2-0, Wednesday afternoon, the old bromide came true once again.

“The biggest thing is, we won the game,” KU coach Mark Francis said. “It wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was ugly at times.”

After a frustrating tie with Michigan and an overtime loss to Wisconsin over the weekend in Topeka, the Jayhawks boosted their record to 1-1-1 with the victory at Jayhawk Soccer Complex.

“We played good over the weekend and didn’t win,” Francis said, “and we didn’t play worth a darn today, and we won the game.”

Kansas grabbed a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute, when Jessica Bush cleaned up a bobble by Missouri State goalkeeper Jackie Jasper and drilled the ball into the open net from 15 yards out.

Caroline Smith blocks the ball during the second half during Kansas University's 2-0 victory over Missouri State. Smith had one of the Jayhawks' two goals Wednesday at Jayhawk Soccer Complex.

“It was definitely exciting,” said Bush, a freshman from Blue Springs, Mo., about her first college goal. “When I saw the ball loose, I knew I’d better get there quick.”

Bush did, but Francis didn’t see enough other Jayhawks getting there quickly, so he challenged his players at halftime to crank up the intensity.

“We were flat in the first half, and for this group that’s unusual,” Francis said.

Nicole Cauzillo, a co-captain, came to the rescue.

“Cauz really stepped it up,” Francis said. “That’s why she’s a captain. She gets people fired up.”

Cauzillo said she was just as baffled as the coach about the slow start.

“I was really frustrated with the intensity,” she said. “We played two overtime games last weekend, but that’s no excuse.”

Missouri State's Kate Blair (11) heads the ball while Kansas' Lacey Novak contests the possession.

On paper, the Jayhawks actually were better on defense in the first half. They held the Bears to only two shots, one on goal. In the second half, Mizzou State was credited with four shots, two on goal. Lonely KU goalkeeper Colleen Quinn registered the three saves.

Meanwhile, Kansas was a bit better offensively in the second half with seven of 10 shots on goal after going 5-for-8 in the first half.

KU’s second-half goal was classic Caroline Smith. The school’s all-time leading scorer went one-on-one with a defender, then drilled a 20-yarder into the lower-left corner of the net in the 83rd minute.

Smith now scored a goal in each of the Jayhawks’ three games.

All in all, Kansas pressured Missouri State goalie Jasper repeatedly. Of KU’s 12 shots on goal, 10 were saved by Jasper. Countless other times, the Jayhawks were in attack modes that fizzled for one reason or another.

• 6Sports video: KU soccer pulls down victory

The Jayhawks will be back at JSC Friday to meet Arkansas in another 5 p.m. match.

“It wasn’t the prettiest thing,” Bush said of Wednesday’s win, “but we got it, and now we have momentum going into the Arkansas game.”