Former Mount St. Joseph’s women’s basketball player Lauren Hill died early Friday, according to Local 12 in Cincinnati.
The 19-year-old, who was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer during her senior year of high school, became an inspiration to countless people as her dream to play college basketball evolved into a national story. Mount St. Joseph’s even moved the date of its season opener up two weeks to ensure Hill’s dream would become a reality.
There were no dry eyes in the house on Nov. 2 when Hill scored the first two points of the game against Hiram College in front of a sold-out crowd of 10,000 people. She added another basket to close the game, calling it the “greatest day” of her life while addressing the crowd at halftime.
Hill went on to play in four games before she ended her playing career and became an honorary coach. But Hill’s greatest feats came off the court. She made it her mission to raise awareness for pediatric brain cancer research and treatment, helping raise nearly $1.5 million through The Cure Starts Now.
Photo via Twitter/@SportsCenter
