UNC Basketball Moments After – UNC vs. Louisville 86-70 Win
UNC Tar Heels Basketball Team Starts Fast and Cruises Past the Louisville Cardinals to Win Their Sixth Straight ACC Game
by Derrick Clyburn
The North Carolina basketball team faced off against the Louisville Cardinals on a cold Wednesday night. This was another chance for the Tar Heels to test their mettle staying focused and not allowing this to be a trap game against the struggling Cardinals. The #4 ranked North Carolina team started the game fast with great tenacious defense and an attacking free-flowing offense. Everyone was touching the ball and moving it to the open man for the high-percentage shot.
The Tar Heels’ defense has been a mainstay for the second quarter of the season which has allowed the offense to flow and expand with more fast breaks and open 3-pointers. North Carolina went on a 20-5 run to open up the game for good in the first half. Three Tar Heels were in double figures in the first half with Cormac Ryan hitting four 3-pointers, RJ Davis hitting three 3-pointers, and Bacot dominating the paint. North Carolina would go into intermission up 46-29.
In the second half, North Carolina came out sluggish hitting only seven points in the first six minutes and allowing the Cardinals to hit 90% of their shots to cut the lead down to 5 points with ten minutes remaining. Then the Tar Heels got an offensive boost from Jae’Lyn Withers and RJ Davis to push the lead back to 13. Tonight was Jae’Lyn Withers’s breakout game. Playing against his former team. Withers was a junkyard dog. He came off the bench played great defense and attacked the basket from the baseline scoring a Tar Heels career-high 15 points and 10 rebounds. Notching his first double-double of the season.
UNC would ramp back up their defensive play to finish off the Cardinals. Taking away any hope of an upset. Five Tar Heels scored in double figures led by RJ Davis with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
UNC Game Stats
| 1 | 2 | T | |
| Louisville 6-11 | 29 | 41 | 70 |
| 4 North Carolina 14-3 | 46 | 40 | 86 |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | MIN | STL | BLK | TO |
| R. Davis | 21 | 6 | 6 | 6/12 | 4/7 | 5/5 | 2 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| A. Bacot | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7/11 | 0/0 | 5/6 | 3 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| C. Ryan | 14 | 2 | 0 | 5/10 | 4/7 | 0/0 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| H. Ingram | 10 | 4 | 5 | 4/11 | 2/4 | 0/2 | 2 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| E. Cadeau | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2/4 | 0/1 | 1/2 | 1 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | MIN | STL | BLK | TO |
| J. Withers | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5/6 | 0/0 | 5/7 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| P. Wojcik | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0/2 | 0/2 | 2/2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| S. Trimble | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/3 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| J. Washington | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Z. High | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D. Farris | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| J. Okonkwo | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| R. Landry | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| C. Lebo | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 86 | 35 | 19 | 29/60 | 10/22 | 18/24 | 13 | – | 7 | 4 | 8 |
| STARTERS | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | MIN | STL | BLK | TO |
| S. Clark | 16 | 3 | 4 | 6/12 | 4/5 | 0/1 | 1 | 33 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| B. Huntley-Hatfield | 15 | 6 | 0 | 7/10 | 0/1 | 1/4 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| M. James | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3/10 | 1/1 | 2/2 | 1 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| D. Jovanovich | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/1 | 0/0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| H. Miller | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| BENCH | PTS | REB | AST | FG | 3PT | FT | PF | MIN | STL | BLK | TO |
| T. White | 12 | 1 | 0 | 5/8 | 1/4 | 1/2 | 4 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| C. Williams | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3/5 | 2/4 | 0/0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| T. Johnson | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1/7 | 0/2 | 2/4 | 4 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| K. Glenn | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1/2 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Z. Payne | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/1 | 0/0 | 0/0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| E. Okorafor | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| K. Davis | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| D. Evans | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| J. Traynor | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| A. McCool | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Total | 70 | 24 | 10 | 28/57 | 8/18 | 6/13 | 19 | – | 4 | 1 | 13 |
UNC Bright Spots
RJ Davis had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.
Armando Bacot had 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks.
Jaelyn Withers had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 steal.
Cormac Ryan had 14 points and 2 rebounds
Harrison Ingram had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Needs Work
UNC needs to make sure they continue to stay aggressive attacking the basket and moving the ball offensively. Eliminating stretches when they’re stagnant, overdribbling, and taking bad shots. They’re at their best when sharing the ball and are in constant motion offensively.
Final Observations
The Tar Heels improved to 14-3 on the season, winning their 7th straight game and moving to 6-0 in ACC play as they stand alone in first place in the ACC standings. The Heels continue to play great unselfish basketball and are building great chemistry. The players understand their roles much better. You can see the trust that they have for one another and how much they enjoy playing together.
Coach Davis and his staff have the Tar Heels playing with great confidence and they are still growing as a team. They haven’t played close to their best game where all of the players are clicking on all cylinders yet. When Elliot Cadeau and Paxson Wojcik get more comfortable and can play a complete game. This team will become extremely hard to beat. Next up the Tar Heels travel to Boston on Saturday, Jan. 20th to play Boston College at 2:15 on the CW.
Louisville shot 50% for the game??? Wow!! Also, other than Withers, the bench didn’t give us much of anything. But hey, a win is a win!!
Wow, we gave up 50% shooting to Louisville?? Also, other that Withers, bench play left a lot to be desired. But hey, a win is a win….