They are coming home empty-handed once again.

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Despite a competitive and spirited effort, the University of Hawaiʻi Men's Basketball team came out the losers once again over the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 76-72, at the Thunderdome on Saturday. This marks seven consecutive losses UH has suffered to Santa Barbara going back to 2022.

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Tanner Christensen led a four-pack of Rainbow Warriors with 23 points and 8 rebounds on 10-of-13 shooting. Ryan Rapp chipped in 18 off the bench while Harry Rouhliadeff poured in 11, and Kody Williams added 10.

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Deuce Turner led the Gauchos with 23 of his own on 8-of-13 shooting and was 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Jason Fontenet II was the next closest with 12, followed by 10 from Stephan Swenson and Kenny Pohto each.

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Santa Barbara's Max Murrell and Hawaiʻi's Christensen traded triples each to draw first blood. It was tied at seven apiece until UCSB spurted ahead with a 13-0 run.

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UH responded back with 11 unanswered of their own to get back in contention. They would take the lead off a Rapp and-1 triple; Rapp would bury a second triple back-to-back to give UH its biggest lead of the whole game at four.

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UCSB would take it back a while later and took a seven-point lead at halftime, 39-32.

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UCSB was able to maintain its lead out of the locker room, but UH found more answers somewhere.

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UH was able to go on multiple runs and keep UCSB scoreless for short periods of time to eat away at the gap. The 'Bows took the lead for the second time off a Williams jumper with 10:59 remaining.

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The 'Bows got their lead to three, but Santa Barbara's Cole Anderson banked a triple to erase that lead and tie the score with 9:51 remaining. It was a dogfight until the very end.

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With 2:16 to go, Rapp hit two big free throws off a Fontenet foul to give UH a 70-69 lead, but Santa Barbara would snatch it back off a Turner triple.

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In the final minute, UH had two chances to win or send it to overtime, but they turned it over on both opportunities, and Santa Barbara just barely held on.

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With the loss, UH falls to 13-11 overall and 5-8 in conference play; fortunately, they remained in seventh place in the standings after Bakersfield fell at UC Riverside, 69-64, earlier this week.

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UH will return to the Stan Sheriff Center for two games on Thursday, Feb. 13 against Long Beach State, and Saturday, Feb. 15 against UC Irvine. Both tipoffs are scheduled for 7 p.m. HST; you can listen to both games on ESPN Honolulu or watch on Spectrum Sports.