JayVaughn Pinkston and Villanova won in blowout fashion over Lafayette Thursday night. (Getty)
Final Score
Villanova Wildcats — 49-44 — 93
Lafayette Leopards — 26-26 — 52
Villanova used a scorching shooting performance and had 6 players score in double-figures as the top-seeded Wildcats defeated No. 16 seed Lafayette on Thursday night in an East Regional game.
Dylan Ennis led the way with 16 points, Daniel Ochefu had 14 points and Ryan Arcidiacono added 13. JayVaughn Pinkston (12), Darrun Hilliard II (12) and Kris Jenkins (10) also reached double-digits.
Dan Trist led Lafayette with 18 points and Seth Hinrichs scored 13.
‘Nova shot 63.2 percent (36 of 57) from the field, including 11-for-22 (50 percent) from 3-point range.
The Wildcats forced 15 turnovers and committed just 8 of their own.
For a complete boxscore, click here.
Live Game Updates
Second Half Notes
– At the official timeout with just under 8 minutes left, Lafayette had 13 turnovers & ‘Nova had 3
– The Wildcats had outscored the Leopards 24-8 a little 7 minutes into the second half
– Villanova opened the second half with a 6 for 7 shooting performance
First Half Notes
– Villanova shot 20-for-32 (62.5 percent) in the first half; Lafayette was 9 for 22
– ‘Nova made 6 of 12 3s; Lafayette was 2 of 9
– The Wildcats held an 18-8 rebound advantage
– Villanova had 13 assists; Lafayette had 7
– Lafayette turned the ball over 6 times; Villanova only 3
– The Leopards hit all 6 of their free throws; Villanova was 3 of 5
Leading Scorers & Stats
Villanova
Dylan Ennis – 16 points, 5 assists
Daniel Ochefu – 14 points, rebounds, 3 blocks
Ryan Arcidiacono – 13 points, 6 assists
JayVaughn Pinkston – 12 points
Darrun Hilliard II – 12 points
Kris Jenkins – 10 points
Lafayette
Dan Trist – 18 points, 6 rebounds
Seth Hinrichs – 13 points, 4 assists
Preview: Villanova & Lafayette Set to Tangle In Pittsburgh
Villanova ran through the Big East en route to a 32-2 record and claimed the East Region No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Up first: No. 16 Lafayette on Thursday evening from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Leopards were the surprising winners of the Patriot League after finishing conference play at 9-9.
Lafayette hasn’t been to the Big Dance since 2000. ‘Nova has participated in 10 of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments.
