SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – Stanford prevented Bob Knight from winning his 876th game Sunday, with Lawrence Hill scoring 19 points in the Cardinal’s 70-59 victory over Texas Tech in the opening game of the Pete Newell Challenge.

Knight was unable to tie Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp for second place in NCAA Division I coaching history when his Red Raiders (6-3) couldn’t catch up to the Cardinal, who held a steady second-half lead. Stanford remained unbeaten in nine appearances in the annual doubleheader honoring Newell, the Hall of Fame coach and Knight’s good friend.

Freshman Brook Lopez scored 18 points in his second collegiate game and Anthony Goods added 11 as Stanford (6-1) won its fourth straight game with a solid second half despite a full-court press from Knight’s Red Raiders.

Jarrius Jackson scored 21 points and Martin Zeno had 16 before fouling out for Texas Tech, which had its two-game winning streak snapped. The Red Raiders were outrebounded 45-32 and never got closer to Stanford than seven points in the closing minutes.

While Knight closes in on Rupp’s mark, he is just four wins why of catching North Carolina’s Dean Smith, the career record-holder with 879.

Knight is as feisty as ever at 66, jumping up to interact with players – and occasionally skewer the referees, as he did when Goods drew a two-shot foul with 8:27 to play.

“There was no attempt to shoot!” Knight screamed in the nearly silent rink. “That’s ridiculous!”

Moments later, Knight singled out forward Darryl Dora for a furious demonstration of low-post defense techniques during a timeout.

Knight began his coaching career at Army in 1965.

, when he was just 24. He moved to Indiana in 1971, racking up one remarkable record after another on the way to three national championships.

Knight has always generated controversy along with the victories, from his infamous chair-throwing tirade in 1985 to the long series of incidents that led to his acrimonious departure from Bloomington.

Knight received criticism already this season when he aggressively lifted forward Michael Prince’s chin to get his attention during a game – but his teaching made little difference in the first loss of his career to Stanford.

As always, Newell sat at courtside with friends and family members for the 10th edition of the annual Bay Area doubleheader bearing his name.

The 91-year-old coach won an NIT title with San Francisco, an NCAA championship with California and the 1960 Olympic gold medal for the U.S. team, making many friends along the way – including Knight, who coached the Hoosiers in the inaugural Pete Newell Challenge in 1997.

Cal faced No. 24 Nevada in the second game of the Challenge.

AP-ES-12-03-06 2040EST


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