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No. 1 seed Villanova rolls over Lafayette

 
Villanova’s Josh Hart hangs on the rim after an uncontested dunk during a 93-52 victory.
Villanova’s Josh Hart hangs on the rim after an uncontested dunk during a 93-52 victory.
Published March 20, 2015

PITTSBURGH — Thirty years after an improbable run to a stunning national championship, Villanova is going to try it this time as a prohibitive favorite to reach the Final Four.

With a romp in the opening act, the top-seeded Wildcats showed they're up to the task of headlining on the way to Indianapolis, thumping Lafayette 93-52 Thursday night. Dylan Ennis scored 16 and Villanova (33-2) won its 16th straight game.

"I could tell our guys were fired up for this game because it was the NCAA Tournament," coach Jay Wright said. "They weren't thinking seed. They weren't thinking we could be the first 1-16 to (lose). They don't think about that stuff. Coaches do."

The Wildcats shot close to 70 percent for most of the game and led by as many as 45 points. They made 11 of 22 from 3-point range and shot 63 percent overall from the floor.

Lafayette (20-13) came into the game second nationally in 3-point shooting (41 percent), and the thought was, if the Leopards got hot from 3-point range, they could give the Wildcats a game.

The Leopards missed six of their first seven 3s and were just 2 of 9 in the first half. Joey Ptasinski led Lafayette with 72 3-pointers at 46 percent shooting, but was 0-for-3 Thursday.

N.C. STATE 66, LSU 65: BeeJay Anya's hook shot rolled around and in with a second to play, lifting the eighth-seeded Wolfpack (21-13) over the ninth-seeded Tigers (22-11) in Pittsburgh. Cat Barber led N.C. State, which trailed by as much as 16, with 17 points. LSU missed its last 12 field goals and missed six free throws in the final four minutes. On the winner, Trevor Lacey tried to work for a shot with the clock winding down then passed to Anya. The burly sophomore's left-handed hook caromed in.