UC Santa Barbara rolls past Hawaii to end regular season

Hitting shots from near and far, the UC Santa Barbara basketball team rolled to an 81-61 victory over Hawaii today at UCSB Events Center.

The Gauchos scored 42 points in the paint and hit eight 3s against one of the nation’s top teams in defending the perimeter.

There were a variety of scenarios in which a UH victory could result in a tie for first place in the Big West. But Andre Kelly’s early dominance in the low post and Calvin Wishart’s accuracy from deep and deeper foiled the ’Bows. The Gauchos never trailed after reeling off eight points in a row to take a 10-2 lead.

The Gauchos and UC Irvine, which defeated Cal State Bakersfield, finished atop the Big West at 15-5.

The ’Bows dropped to 13-7 in the Big West, and will play in Thursday’s 4-5 quarterfinal game of the Big West Tournament.

Noel Coleman led the ’Bows with 15 points. Mike Norris scored 18 points for the Gauchos, and Wishart contributed all of his 15 points in the first half.