LUBBOCK, Texas – Bob Knight passing Adolph Rupp on the NCAA’s all-time wins list didn’t pack much drama.

Texas Tech immediately established its dominance and cruised to a 98-64 win Saturday over Centenary in front of an announced crowd of 8,645 at the United Spirit Arena.

Knight is alone in second place with 877 wins. He needs three more to break former North Carolina coach Dean Smith’s NCAA record. Knight declined to speak to the media after the game, sending his son and designated successor, Pat, to speak instead.

“It’s like waiting for Brad Pitt, and Martin Short comes in,” Pat Knight joked. “I apologize.”

Pat Knight said his dad wanted to get an early start on a hunting trip. The Red Raiders certainly came out firing against Centenary.

Tech (8-3) opened the game with a 10-0 run and never let the Gents in the game. Centenary (4-5) didn’t crack double digits until 8:31 remained in the half. Tech had a 21-point lead by then.

Tech shot 72 percent from the floor in the first half and 63 percent for the game. Guards Jarrius Jackson and Charlie Burgess combined to score 45 points on 18-of-22 shooting.

But not even that allowed Bob Knight, whose temper is a large part of his legend, to relax.

Knight bolted off the bench after Centenary’s Tyrone Hamilton hit an uncontested 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cap a 6-0 spurt that pulled the Gents within 21. Knight, 66, sprinted after his team into the tunnel toward the locker room, screaming all the way. His face was as red as the empty seats in the arena.

“We played 19 minutes and 30 seconds of good basketball,” Tech small forward Martin Zeno said. “The last 30 seconds wasn’t what he wanted.”

Pat Knight said his father was incensed about a missed blockout by center Esmir Rizvic that allowed Centenary an easy layup. Hamilton’s 30-footer added fuel to Bob Knight’s fire.

The last time Bob Knight ran that fast, according to his son, was when Indiana’s Kirk Haston missed a blockout against Minnesota during Knight’s final season with the Hoosiers.

“I knew it was going to happen,” Pat Knight said of the tirade. “I wasn’t going to try to stop him.”

Jackson and Burgess combined to score Tech’s first 26 points of the second half before resting the final 10 minutes.

“We knew that the first five minutes (of the second half) were really important,” said Burgess, who made all nine of his shot attempts.

“We had to strike first before they could come back.”

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