UNC Basketball Aftermath: #4 Tar Heels Extend Their Winning Streak to Seven Games

(Photo Courtesy Jim Hawkins/Inside Carolina) 

Starters 

Elliot Cadeau - 25 MIN, 5 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 2-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-2 FT

R.J Davis - 36 MIN, 21 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 6-12 FG, 4-7 3PT, 5-5 FT

Cormac Ryan - 28 MIN, 14 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 5-10 FG, 4-7 3PT, 0-0 FT

Harrison Ingram - 29 MIN, 10 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 4-11 FG, 2-4 3PT, 0-2 FT

Armando Bacot - 33 MIN, 19 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 7-11 FG, 0-0 3PT, 5-6 FT

Bench 

Jae'Lyn Withers - 24 MIN, 15 PTS, 10 REB, 0 AST, 5-6 FG, 0-0 3PT, 5-7 FT

Seth Trimble -  16 MIN, 0 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0-3 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-0 FT

Jalen Washington - 4 MIN, 0 PTS, 2 REB, 0 AST, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT

Paxson Wojcik -  3 MIN, 2 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0-2 FG, 0-2 3PT, 2-2 FT

Zayden High -  2 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT

Chapel Hill - The #4 North Carolina Tar Heels pushed their winning ways over the Louisville Cardinals last night, 86-73. Completing this task while surviving a Cardinal scoring run during the second half where at times it seemed the momentum had switched for the visitors from Kentucky.

Jae’Lyn Withers, the Former Cardinal 

The North Carolina native out of Charlotte, Jae'Lyn Withers, spent his first three years at Louisville, and for the first time this season, he was able to face his former school last night as a senior.

 

Withers averaged under five points a game going into the matchup but came out firing on all cylinders off the bench for Coach Davis. Withers notched 15 points and 10 rebounds, making 83% FG (5-6) and 71% FT (5-7).

 

The forward was huge in Carolina's victory as he did his scoring around the rim through drives and cuts, along with the charity stripe.

 

Another great addition to this year's roster was made through the transfer portal, elevating UNC's potential moving forward.

Surviving the Run

UNC started the second half off to a relatively slow start, which allowed the Cardinals to cut their deficit to five points at one point at the 12:27 mark after a Mike James three-pointer made the game 55-50.

 

Before this happened at the 15:15 mark, the Heels were up 53-38, and in just two minutes and 48 seconds, to be exact, their 15-point lead was gone just like that.

 

However, at the 8:34 mark, Jae'Lyn Withers converted an acrobatic finish off a sweet dime from Elliot Cadeau to raise the lead to 65-52. A little under 7 minutes had passed, and the Tar Heels were back to a double-figure lead.

 

Eventually, this continued throughout the rest of the game until the end, as it serves as proof of UNC's gritty basketball style, not letting up despite Louisville's slight comeback.

 

The energy, effort, and toughness that Coach Davis likes to preach to his squad is coming to full effect right in front of our eyes.

RJ Davis and Armando Bacot 

The two mainstays for this university, senior RJ Davis and super-senior Armando Bacot, are inevitably trying to redeem themselves after the 2021–2022 season, as they have one last shot together at hanging another banner in the Dean Smith Center.

 

Last night, the pair combined 40 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and three blocks (all Bacot's) on a combined 13 of 23 from the field, four of seven from downtown (all Davis'), and 10-11 from the free throw line.

 

After 17 games, Davis is averaging 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 44% FG, 42% 3PT, and 96% FT. Bacot falls right behind him in the stats category with 15 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. The big man is converting 54% FG, a much improved 80% FT, and a 34% 3PT, although that number is equivalent to his two of six makes on the season thus far.

 

These two have been rolling recently, as it is crucial to how far this team makes it come tournament time. 

Road Time, Yet Again 

The Heels will go back on the road this Saturday, January 20th, to take on Boston College.

 

The game is scheduled for 2:15 p.m. on the CW Network.