By LIZ STEWART

DavidsonNews.net

Scoring streaks before and after halftime gave Davidson the cushion it needed to beat Presbyterian Monday night, 68-54, in a men’s basketball game at Belk Arena.

The win lifted the Wildcats to 3-1, while the Blue Hose fell to 3-3. Nik Cochran and JP Kuhlman led Davidson with 16 points each while De’Mon Brooks scored 15.

Presbyterian came into the game riding a 56-54 upset last Friday over No. 20 Cincinnati, while Davidson had fallen at No. 6 Duke. The Blue Hose kept it close early in the first half, exchanging leads with the Wildcats four times.

Then with three minutes left in the half, Cochran led Davidson on a 9-0 run to finally pull away. Cochran had two layups and two free throws during the three minutes. Clint Mann added two points, Tyler Kalinoski had three points and Jake Cohen had a key block during the run.

The Wildcats kept their intensity going with another run in the first five minutes of the second half. Kuhlman and Brooks led the 12-2 run with six points each. After these runs, Davidson led 49-35, a 14-point margin they held to the finish.

Cochran also had 4 defensive rebounds, an assist and a steal. Kuhlman also had 16 points, 4 rebounds and a steal, while Cohen had 8 rebounds and two blocks.

Cochran’s performance earned praise later from Coach Bob McKillop. “Nik had been playing stuck and hesitant … but is now unleashed, and played well defensively,” McKillop said.

He also said Davidson tried to keep the pressure on the Blue Hose, which were in their fourth game in a week. “We knew the other team would be fatigued because they had so many games in the last 72 hours that we made sure to be in constant attack mode,” McKillop said.

Al’Lonzo Coleman led Presbyterian with 13 points, 9 rebounds, a steal and 2 blocks. Brooks said afterward the win gives him bragging rights over Coleman, who was his summer workout partner.

Khalid Mutakabbir for Presbyterian played all 40 minutes and racked up 10 points and 4 assists.

AWAY GAMES AHEAD

Davidson plays at UNC-Wilmington on Saturday, Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. Their game at Wofford on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. will be televised on ESPN3. The Wildcats do not play at home again until Dec. 3 when they host Furman at 7 p.m.

RELATED LINKS

Davidson vs. Presbyterian box score.

DavidsonWildcats.com coverage, including video interview with Coach McKillop.

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