DAVIDSON Coming into Belk Arena has become an imposing task for teams hoping to knock off the Davidson men's basketball team over the past decade. The Presbyterian Blue Hose learned a lesson Monday, when the visitors simply ran out of energy as Davidson pulled away for a 68-54 victory.

The game was the fourth in seven days for the Blue Hose, which turned in one of its biggest wins in school history Saturday, knocking off then-No. 20 Cincinnati.

Any hopes of a second straight big win by Presbyterian were wiped out by the Wildcats, who ended the first half with a 9-0 run and then raced to a double-digit lead early in the second half that was never relinquished.

Junior guard Nik Cochran scored his 16 points in the first half, giving Davidson a 37-31 lead. The Wildcats ratcheted up the intensity in the game's final 20 minutes.

"We understood that they had had a lot of games under their belt and that fatigue might have been a factor," Davidson coach Bob McKillop said.

Presbyterian coach Gregg Nibert said his players were tired, but that the game's outcome had as much to do with the quality of opponent as with conditioning.

"What caught up with us is the competition," Nibert said. "Davidson is a great basketball team. They come at you in waves, and when they bring guys in off the bench, they get better, or at least stay the same. They don't just have five."

Nibert's game plan was to not let streak-shooting swingman Chris Czerapowicz or 6-10 center Jake Cohen beat the Blue Hose. That mission was accomplished, as Czerapowicz was held scoreless and Cohen was limited to seven points.

Cochran's slashing to the basket and the outside shooting of junior guard J.P. Kuhlman, who tied Cochran for game-high scoring honors with 16 points, were more than the Blue Hose could handle.

Sophomore DeMon Brooks, who sat 14 minutes in the first half in foul trouble, keyed a second-half rally with 11 of his 15 points.

Brooks and Cochran both agreed that balance is the key to the Wildcats offense. In four games this season, the team has had a different leading scorer in each outing.

The Blue Hose, which was led by 13 points and 9 rebounds from Vance High grad Al'Lonzo Coleman, turned in a gutsy performance but didn't have the firepower to match the Wildcats, who improved to 3-1 on the season.

The Wildcats return to action Nov. 26 at UNC Wilmington.