CHAPEL HILL – A win is a win, but UNC basketball didn’t bring its best in an 86-70 victory over Louisville.

On a late Wednesday night at the Dean E. Smith Center, the fourth-ranked Tar Heels (14-3, 6-0 ACC) jumped out to a big lead but endured a sleepy start to the second half to pull away from the Cardinals (6-11, 1-5).

"I know how it got to 55-50," UNC basketball coach Hubert Davis said.

"We weren't playing any defense. In the huddle, I told them, 'They're shooting 90% from the field. It's hard to do that by yourself in the gym, with nobody guarding you. This is the reason why they're in this position, is because our lack of commitment on the defensive end.' "

RJ Davis had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists to lead UNC, which is 6-0 in the ACC for the first time since winning its first eight league games to start the 2015-16 season.

Here are some observations from the Tar Heels’ win against Louisville.

UNC basketball’s Jae’Lyn Withers shines against former team

Louisville transfer Jae’Lyn Withers helped the Tar Heels avoid a disaster against his former team. Following a 10-point, six-rebound performance against Syracuse, Withers had 15 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench against the Cards. It's his first double-double at UNC.

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Tar Heels’ defense takes a step back

UNC led by as many as 20 points late in the first half, but Louisville showed some life in the second half and trimmed the Tar Heels’ lead to five with just over 12 minutes left before UNC upped its energy. After some elite defensive performances in its last four ACC games, the Tar Heels took a step back in the second half against the Cards, who made seven in a row during a stretch and shot 64% in the second half.

Armando Bacot, UNC basketball’s assists leader? 

Armando Bacot, UNC’s all-time leading rebounder, was UNC’s assists leader against Louisville. For the first time in his four-plus seasons, Bacot has two games with five or more assists. After logging six assists in the loss to UConn, Bacot finished with five against the Cardinals. Bacot, who was two shy of his career-high seven assists against Miami in his freshman season, also had 19 points and seven rebounds vs. Louisville.

Cormac Ryan’s 3-point shooting highlights first half 

UNC guard Cormac Ryan knocked down four of UNC’s six 3-pointers in the first half, matching his season-best performance from beyond the arc. Ryan, Davis and Bacot combined to score 35 of UNC’s 46 points in the first half as the Tar Heels carried a 17-point lead into the locker room. UNC had 12 assists on its first 17 baskets.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: RJ Davis, Jae’Lyn Withers lead UNC basketball in win vs. Louisville