Casper Ware was on fire in the first half with 21 points to give the Long Beach State 49ers a 45-40 lead over the No. 4 North Carolina Tar Heels at halftime at the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill. The 49ers went on a 7-0 run to end the half
Ware, the leading scorer for the 49ers this season, made eight of his 13 field goals, including four of six from three-point range. Larry Anderson added seven points, including a pair of three-pointers in the final minute of the half. Long Beach State shot 51.4% in the first half, making 18 of 35 shots from the field.
John Henson led the Tar Heels with 14 points, while Tyler Zeller added 10 points and 5 rebounds for the Tar Heels. North Carolina had assists on 13 of their 16 field goals in the first half and shot 48.5% from the field (16 for 33).
Long Beach State outrebounded North Carolina 19-16 in the first half and forced seven turnovers.