SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team got off to a brutal start and couldn't recover in a 77-62 road loss versus Santa Barbara Saturday night at the Thunderdome. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 13-4 overall and 5-2 in the Big West with just their second loss in their last 11 contests.

Despite the road setback, UH remained in a tie for first-place in the Big West with UC Irvine who also suffered a road loss on Saturday, falling at UC Davis, 75-72. 

Aidan Mahney scored a game-high 17 points as the Gauchos took down the 'Bows in UH's final appearance in the Thunderdome as Big West foes. UCSB led from wire-to-wire, taking a 19-point halftime lead before turning back a UH rally that cut the deficit to seven in the second half. UCSB has now defeated UH eight straight times, including nine straight times at home.  

Harry Rouhliadeff  and Isaiah Kerr led a trio of Rainbow Warriors with 13 points each. Rouhliadeff shot 5-of-6 shooting, while Kerr helped spur UH's comeback with 10 second-half points. Isaac Johnson finished with 10 points. 

UH's 62 points was its second-lowest output this year and lowest since its season-opening loss at Oregon. Meanwhile the 'Bows – on the nation's statistical leaders in defense – allowed its first opponent to shoot better than 50 percent this season as the Gauchos finished at a 55 percent clip.

The first eight minutes was an offensive nightmare for the 'Bows. UH missed 13 of its first 14 shots – including its first nine – while committing four turnovers. UH finally ended the field goal drought on a breakaway layup by Hunter Erickson at the 12:10 mark. 

The 'Bows continued to struggle on both ends of the court for the remainder of the first half. By the time Mahaney beat the halftime buzzer with a driving layup the Gauchos had nearly doubled-up UH, 40-21, by the break. It was a season-low first-half point total for UH and opponent high on the other end as UH shot just 27 percent in the first 20 minutes opposed to the Gaucho's 54 percent. 

There was no quit in the 'Bows in the second half. Down by 17, UH exploded for a 12-2 run, including a three-pointer and driving bucket by Kerr, that pulled them within seven, 51-44, with 10:37 remaining.

It was 53-46 a minute later when Yacine Toumi converted on a UH layup. But that would be as close as UH would get. The Gauchos closed the door with a 15-2 run, capped by a Zion Sensley layup. Sensley, the son of former UH great Julian Sensley, finished with 11 points off the bench for the Gauchos.

The Rainbow Warriors now return home for a pair of games versus CSU Bakersfield (Thursday, Jan. 22) and CSUN (Saturday, Jan. 24). Tipoff for both games are at 7:00 p.m. HT.