HONOLULU (Interstat) — In a pivotal Big West Conference clash that required an extra period to decide, the Hawaii Warriors outlasted the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 78 to 75 in overtime before a crowd of 9,246 at a raucous Stan Sheriff Center on Saturday.

The victory improved Hawaii to 19-7 overall and solidified its position near the top of the conference standings, while UC Santa Barbara fell to 17-11, suffering its second consecutive overtime defeat.

The game was a tense, back-and-forth affair defined by critical plays in the final seconds of regulation and the decisive moments of overtime. The Gauchos, who led 32-30 at halftime, found themselves battling from behind for much of the second half. A driving layup by Hawaii’s Isaiah Kerr gave the Warriors a 66-64 lead with just 38 seconds remaining in regulation.

UC Santa Barbara’s ensuing possession ended with a missed layup by CJ Shaw, but Marvin McGhee was there for the offensive rebound and putback, tying the game at 66 with seven seconds left. Hawaii’s Hunter Erickson had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but his layup attempt missed, sending the game to an extra period tied.

Overtime belonged to the Warriors, who scored the first five points. Kerr opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and Isaac Johnson added two free throws after drawing a foul to push the lead to 71-66. The Gauchos clawed back, with a Zion Sensley 3-pointer cutting the deficit to 73-71 with just over four minutes left.

The decisive sequence came in the final two minutes. With Hawaii leading 76-75, UC Santa Barbara’s Colin Smith was called for a traveling violation, giving possession back to the Warriors with 1:36 left. After a missed jumper by Kerr, Hawaii secured a crucial offensive rebound, ultimately leading to Johnson being fouled. He made both free throws with 1:02 remaining to extend the lead to 78-75.

UC Santa Barbara had two final possessions to tie the game. The first ended with a blocked 3-point attempt by Aidan Mahaney, and the second concluded with a desperation 3-point miss by Shaw as time expired in overtime, sealing the Warriors’ victory.

Hawaii was led by a standout performance from Dre Bullock, who scored a team-high 21 points, including several key baskets in the second half. Isaiah Kerr added 17 points, with his overtime 3-pointer providing a crucial spark. Harry Rouhliadeff provided significant energy off the bench with 10 points and multiple offensive rebounds, including a critical tip-in late in regulation.

For UC Santa Barbara, Colin Smith shouldered the offensive load with a game-high 19 points. Aidan Mahaney contributed 16 points and five assists, while Marvin McGhee added 12 points. The Gauchos struggled to contain Hawaii’s offensive bursts in the second half and overtime, particularly from Bullock and Kerr.

The game lived up to its billing as a closely contested conference matchup, with 14 lead changes and neither team leading by more than seven points. Hawaii’s ability to secure key rebounds and convert free throws down the stretch, going 10 for 10 from the line in overtime, proved to be the difference.

The Warriors avenged a 77-62 loss to the Gauchos in Santa Barbara just over a month ago. Hawaii now holds a half-game lead over UC Santa Barbara in the conference standings as the regular season enters its final weeks.

Hawaii next travels to face UC Davis on Thursday. UC Santa Barbara returns home to host UC Riverside, also on Thursday.