GAME NOTES: The Davidson Wildcats put a five-game win streak on the line on Saturday evening, as they play host to the Niagara Purple Eagles in a non- conference matchup at Belk Arena.

Bob McKillop's Wildcats are an impressive 7-1 on the season. Davidson's lone loss came against powerhouse North Carolina (90-72) back on Nov. 22. The team hasn't lost since and posted its fifth consecutive victory last time out, knocking off Montana in a shootout on Wednesday, 110-99.

Chris Casey is in his second season at Niagara. After earning just seven wins in his first season, the Purple Eagles haven't done much to add to Casey's win total thus far, as the team comes into this contest at a mere 1-5 overall. Niagara's lone win came on Nov. 20 at Saint Peter's (61-59) and the team has dropped four straight decisions since, including last weekend's 77-64 loss to Canisius.

Niagara won the only previous meeting between these two teams, an 83-72 decision at First Niagara Center last season.

A lack of offensive firepower has been Niagara's biggest obstacle in 2014-15. The Purple Eagles are really struggling to put points on the board, entering this game averaging a meager 58.0 ppg on a poor .369 shooting. The lack of efficiency has led to an ugly -12.5 scoring margin. To make matters worse, the team suffers from negative margins in rebounding (-2.3) and turnovers (-1.5). There are simply no prolific scoring options on the Niagara roster at this time. Emile Blackman leads the team with a modest 12.0 ppg. Ramone Snowden adds 10.2 ppg and is a solid rebounder at 8.3 caroms per game. Rayvon Harris (9.7 ppg) and Karonn Davis (9.2 ppg) provide limited scoring depth.

The Purple Eagles fell to their archrival Canisius last weekend. The first half proved to be a back-and-forth battle, resulting in a 34-34 tie at the break. However, Niagara couldn't keep pace over the final 20 minutes of action and fell for the fourth straight time. Matt Scott led the team off the bench with 12 points. Wesley Myers added 11 points, but Blackman and Snowden struggled, combining for just 16 points in the loss.

Davidson's fast start is due almost entirely to the team's strong offensive showing. There has been no shortage of points for the Wildcats, who threw up a season-high 110 points last time out. The 'Cats shot a scorching .589 from the floor against an equally efficient Montana squad (.559), managing to outscore the Grizzlies at the free-throw line, 34-22. Three Wildcats went over the 20- point mark in the game, led by Jack Gibbs' 28 points. Brian Sullivan and Tyler Kalinoski poured in 22 and 21 points, respectively. Jordan Barham (16 pts) and Peyton Aldridge (14 pts) added to the scoring deluge.

Scoring points has not been a problem for Davidson, which nets a healthy 89.9 ppg to rank in the top-five nationally in that category. The Wildcats are shooting .482 from the floor and an impressive .422 from behind the arc. Scoring depth is a strength, with four players currently averaging double figures. Kalinoski tops the list at 17.3 ppg. He is followed closely by Gibbs (15.8 ppg). Aldridge (11.6 ppg) and Barham (10.5 ppg) round out the potent quartet.

These are two teams heading in opposite directions. Niagara has shown no offensive punch and Davidson has more firepower than most teams. This one could get out of hand.