PANTEGO — Thursday marked Terra Ceia’s first game in a week. A bit of rust was apparent. The Knights got their first point at the free-throw line, and a transition layup by visiting Northeast Academy cut their lead to 5-4 early in the first.

The Knights quickly shook it off when they erupted for 27 unanswered points. The Eagles didn’t make a basket until a 3-pointer fell with 30 seconds left in the first, and Terra Ceia cruised to a 110-36 win.

“You can see what we do. We run the floor and find the open man,” coach Roger Klaassen said. “That’s what it’s all about. They play with a lot of confidence. No one out there is afraid to shoot the basketball.”

It didn’t take long for the Knights to find their flow again. Darrius Blackledge brought the crowd to its feet with a dunk and Quentin Van Essendelft connected on slick behind-the-back passes. Blackledge and Messiah Barnes attempted a handful of fast-break plays where one would pass the ball off the backboard to the other.

In other words, it was the typical show put on by Terra Ceia basketball.

“I want this season to be fun for them,” Klaassen said. “They’re seniors. They’ll try some stuff sometimes. I don’t always appreciate it. I don’t get too hard on them.”

Blackledge and Tyler Hendrix tied for a game-high 25 points apiece. Van Essendelft had a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists. Starters Shaiquan Moore (18) and Messiah Barnes (14) scored in double figures, too.

It’s a good problem to have when just about every player on the court has a hot hand.

“This is a blessing,” Klaassen laughed. “It’s these guys. It doesn’t matter to them. When we run the floor, we get that ball to the open man. Whoever scores — if it’s one man that gets a lot of points, but that doesn’t really happen — they all run the floor really well and find each other.”

Terra Ceia built a 32-7 in just eight minutes of play, and did so without hitting a long-range shot. Van Essendelft got the Knights hot from behind the arc in the second. He knocked down three triples during a 17-0 barrage to end the half.

The Knights continued to get up and down the court quickly. It helped them surpass the century mark, despite the fact the clock started running in the second quarter. They had 26 steals in the game, including eight by Van Essendelft.

The Eagles notched three straight baskets in the fourth to make it 98-33. Barnes then found Alex Van Staalduinen wide open under the basket for Terra Ceia’s 100th point.

“I’m extremely pleased. We’re playing well together,” Klaassen said. “… We’re always working. I think our defense can be better at times. On offense, there are going to be certain situations where we have to run our set offense.”