Thirty-nine years ago tonight, Southern Miss had one of those nights people in Hattiesburg still talk about like it just happened.
March 26, 1987.
Madison Square Garden.
La Salle on the other side.
And somehow, some way, Southern Miss walked out of there with an 84–80 win and the NIT Championship.
It’s still the biggest night in Southern Miss basketball history.
A Team That Felt Like It Had Something to Prove
This wasn’t a perfect team.
They didn’t cruise through the season. They weren’t ranked all year. They didn’t get handed anything.
They were just tough.
M. K. Turk had a group that knew how to play together and didn’t scare easy. Guys like Randolph Keys and Derrek Hamilton weren’t flashy, but they were steady. They showed up every night and gave you something.
And on that same roster was a player who’s still part of this story today, current Golden Eagles coach Jay Ladner. Back then, just another guy in the program. Now, the one trying to bring that feeling back.
The Kind of Run You Don’t Forget
You don’t win the NIT by accident, especially not the way Southern Miss did it.
They had to earn everything.
Ole Miss.
Saint Louis in overtime.
Vanderbilt on the road.
Those aren’t easy wins, especially for a team that had already taken its share of bumps that season.
By the time they got to New York, they weren’t just happy to be there.
They looked like a team that believed they could finish it.
That Game
The championship game wasn’t smooth. It wasn’t comfortable.
It felt tight the whole way.
La Salle had real players—Lionel Simmons was scoring like he always did, and they weren’t backing down.
But Southern Miss didn’t either.
Keys did a little bit of everything.
Hamilton battled inside and made big plays when it mattered.
And Casey Fisher just kept letting it fly from deep.
Every time La Salle pushed, Southern Miss answered.
The Moment Everyone Remembers
Late in the game, everything tightened up.
John White had been on the bench most of the second half dealing with foul trouble. Not really part of the flow anymore.
Then suddenly, he was.
Loose ball.
Scramble.
He ends up with it.
Next thing you know, he’s at the free throw line with the game sitting right there.
No drama to it. No hesitation.
Two free throws. Both good.
That was it.
Southern Miss 84, La Salle 80.
Thirty-Nine Years Later
A lot has changed.
Different players. Different conferences. Different college basketball.
But that night still holds up.
It’s still the one people point to.
Still the one that feels a little different.
And the cool part is, it’s not just some distant memory.
Because one of the guys from that team, Jay Ladner, is still right there in the middle of it, trying to build something that feels like that again.
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