PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Lafayette men's basketball team ran into a hot-shooting top-seeded Villanova squad in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday evening, ending its 2014-15 season with a 93-52 defeat.

The Patriot League champions needed to get hot from distance, but went just 4-for-18 from beyond the arc in the game (22.2%) and 21-for-55 from the field overall (38.2%). The postseason defeat effectively ended Lafayette's first 20-win season since the 1999-2000 campaign with an overall record of 20-13.

"We knew we needed to get off to a good start," head coach Fran O'Hanlon said. "We had some open threes early, but when they didn't drop, we knew it would be hard to come back against a team like that. They're as good a team as we've played over the last couple years."

Senior Dan Trist was just one rebound shy of double-double in the game and was able to impose his will on the low block effectively most of the night, scoring 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting. Classmate and captain Seth Hinrichs recorded 13 points and four assists in his final game for the Maroon and White.

Additionally, fellow senior Joey Ptasinski connected on his first jumper from the floor for his only points of the night and Alan Flannigan, the final member of the class of 2015, saw action in the final 2:12 to round out his Lafayette career.

"I'm so thankful and grateful to be a part of the experience," Hinrichs said. "Obviously, we would have liked to play a little better tonight, but to win the Patriot League championship and be able to represent our school has been awesome."

Villanova shot lights out from the floor, connecting on 36 of its 57 shots from the field (63.2%) and 11-of-22 from beyond the arc (50.0%). All eight players that saw action for the Wildcats scored at least seven points, with six players tallying double figures.

Dylan Ennis led the way for the top seed with 16 points and five assists, while Ryan Arcidiacono recorded 13 points and six assists, and Daniel Ochefu ripped down nine rebounds to accompany his 14 points. The Wildcats were decisive in most of the statistical categories, winning the battle on the glass, 33-25, and scoring 24 points off of 15 Lafayette turnovers.

A hot start from Villanova, including a pair of put-back buckets from JayVaughn Pinkston over the first three minutes, forced a Lafayette timeout at the 16:29 mark of the first half, in an 11-2 hole. Lafayette settled in, though, over the next few minutes, as a strong drive down the left side of the lane from Trist pulled the Leopards within five at 13-8 with 13:40 to play in the half.

The Wildcats moved their lead out to as many as 11 at 19-8 over the next five minutes, but a three on the right baseline from sophomore Monty Boykins pulled the edge back to eight at 21-13. However, Kris Jenkins responded as he connected on back-to-back shots from distance at the eight-minute mark to give Villanova its largest lead to that point, 27-13.

The Wildcats extended their edge out to as many as 21 before a three and a pair of free throws from Hinrichs cut the edge back to 14 at 38-24 with 2:56 left to play in the first. Villanova went on a spurt to end the half, taking the game into the locker room with a 49-26 margin.

The Wildcats came out of the break hot, converting on a pair of Leopard turnovers to extend their edge to 28, 58-30. Shots from distance weren't following for Lafayette throughout the midway point of the half as Villanova continued to pour it on, leading 79-39 with less than 10 minutes to play.

Michael Hoffman fed Nathaniel Musters in the lane to get Lafayette to the 50-point mark with 2:40 remaining. However, the lead was too much to overcome late as the Leopards ended their season with a final score of 93-52.