The UC Santa Barbara basketball team coated the paint with layups, dunks and mini jumpers for Friday night’s 59-50 victory over Hawaii in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

By winning their ninth in a row, the Gauchos ascended into sole possession of first place in the Big West at 7-2. They are 13-3 overall. The Rainbow Warriors fell to 7-6 and 5-6 in the Big West, having suffered their first loss in two weeks. The rematch tips off at 7 tonight.

UCSB sharpshooter JaQuori McClaughlin’s aim was dull — the senior guard missed nine of his first 11 shots — and the Gauchos did not net a 3 in the second half. But the Gauchos’ pesky man-to-man defense and relentless inside attack repelled the ’Bows. The Gauchos’ 36 points in the paint — double the ’Bows’ interior count — were constructed largely on 12 layups and three thunderous dunks.

The Gauchos also controlled the glass, building a 22-14 rebounding advantage after the intermission. They had eight offensive rebounds in the second half.

“Tough loss,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “I think you can tell the name of the game came down to our offensive execution and our inability to rebound in the second half. I thought our guys did a heck of a job defensively against the top offensive team in our league. So you figure, give yourself a chance to do something. Our inability to generate anything offensively was disappointing.”

The ’Bows shot 32%, including 4-for-18 from behind the 3-point stripe. The Gauchos, who entered as the league’s leader in turnover margin at plus-4.3 per game, extended their defensive reach to 45 feet.

“We were basically running our offense closer to half court,” Ganot said. “It’s a credit to them, but disappointing we took a step backward in terms of handling pressure.”

The Gauchos were able to dissolve ball screens, limiting the ’Bows’ clear-shot opportunities. UH post James Jean-Marie scored 10 points on 3-for-12 shooting. Casdon Jardine, the Big West’s most accurate 3-point shooter, was 0-for-4 from long range, and 2-for-10 overall. Justin Webster, who was named the league’s player of the week this past Monday, managed eight points. He did not launch his first shot until 14 minutes, 55 seconds after the opening tip-off.

There were two significant times when the ’Bows’ inconsistency was magnified. After taking a 12-10 lead, the Gauchos scored 13 unanswered points and never trailed thereafter. Josh Pierre-Louis came off the UCSB bench to score seven points during the surge. Pierre-Louis opened the way with consecutive baskets on fast breaks off UH turnovers. Pierre-Louis also swished a 3 as part of his nine first-half points. It was the best half of the season for the player known as “Skipp.” Pierre-Louis, who averages 6.1 points per game, is in his first year at UCSB after transferring from Temple following his freshman year.

“I think it was a pivotal point in the game,” Ganot said. The Gauchos scored 16 points off turnovers, to the ’Bows’ four, and 16 on fast breaks.

In the second half, the ’Bows whittled their deficit to 43-38. But with nowhere to pass or shoot, their 27-second possession ended with a turnover.

“When we see pressure, we revert,” Ganot said. “We play a little more isolation, and we don’t execute.”

McLaughlin, despite hitting four of 16, finished with 14 points, mostly on drives and post-up moves. Amadou Sow, a 6-9 post, also scored 14.