On Feb. 7, 1985, Marshall’s Bruce Morris launched the “Shot Herd Round the World” to set the unofficial record for the longest made shot in college basketball history.
On that memorable Thursday night, Morris grabbed the rebound off a blocked shot and heaved it downcourt as time expired in the first half. The shot sailed through the air and landed in the basket 89 feet and 10 inches later. The Herd would go on to defeat Appalachian State, 93-82.
Officials originally measured the shot at 92 feet and 5.25 inches, but the distance was measured again to its current record.
The school submitted the shot to the Guinness Book of World Records. Morris broke the previous longest shot on record set by Virginia Tech’s Les Henson against Florida State five years earlier. Henson nailed his shot from 89 feet and three inches.
MORE HISTORY: What we know about the longest college basketball game ever
Marshall commemorated Morris’ record by painting footprints on its home court on the spot where he nailed the shot. Teams that visit Cam Henderson Center have tried to replicate the feat, but without much success:
During the 2018-19 season, Hofstra’s Eli Pemberton ended the first half of the Pride’s January 24 game against James Madison with a heave that found the bottom of the net.
That shot prompted Pemberton to start trending on Twitter — and it drew some comparisons to Morris’ shot more than 30 years ago.
LONGEST SHOT IN HISTORY: How Pemberton’s compares
