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Lauren Hill played just 43 seconds and scored four points in Mount St. Joseph University Lions' 66-55 win over the Hiram College Terriers..
We will forget the score. We will forget who won. We won't forget Lauren or her fight and that is how she wants it.
"I am so thankful for the awareness," Hill told a room full of sports reporters, who had the rare privilege of writing a story more important than a college basketball game. "This shouldn't end with this game. When I was first diagnosed in October, I felt so alone."
She wasn't alone on Sunday.
Hill played high school basketball at Lawrenceburg High School just 11 miles from Mt. St. Joe. She committed to play for first year coach Dan Benjaman in October.
"Forty-nine days later, she told me that she was diagnosed with DIPG," Benjamin said.
Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma is a type of
high-grade glioma, a brain tumor that comes from cells called glia that surround, protect, and otherwise support the nerve cells in the brain.
It is found in school age children most often with 150 diagnosed every year. Lauren is older than most patients. She has been able to articulate what younger children are going through.
Mariko Dewire MD, a neural oncologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital is Lauren's physician.
"We are currently learning about the biology of these tumors," Dewire said. "We hope to find drugs to find drugs that are specific to its mutations and pathways."
Hill is sensitive to light and loud noises. She wore sunglasses and ear plugs when she was off the court.
Hill scored on the opening tip off, a set play that Benjamin and his team has been working on in practice. Benjamin shared with the Hiram College head coach, Emily Hays.
"They all played their parts beautifully," Benjamin said. He was not surprised.
"Lauren is strong. She has come to practice looking tired but once she was on the court, she found energy," said Benjamin, who almost resigned because of personal problems. He came back because Lauren Hill insisted that if he wasn't the coach, she wasn't going to play.
The Mount controlled the tip and Lauren Hill drove to the basket left-handed and put the ball in easily with her left hand. Her dominate hand has always been her right.
Only 17 seconds elapsed. Timeout was immediately called to make substitutions.
Tara Dennis scored 21 points and had 14 rebounds for the Lions, who led 51-30 with 6:03 left in the game. Helped by Merideth Harfiel's 13 points and Bristyl's 14 the Mount stretched its lead to 64-53 when Erica Walsh hit a jump shot with 1:44 left.
The Terrier's leading scorer Keisey Koskinen cut the lead to nine with 1;20 left but after a missed shot by Taylor Ratliff with 29 seconds left. Hartfiel collected the rebound and passed the ball to Brilyn Webb, who frantically called timeout as the crowd chanted, "Lauren Hill."
There was 25 seconds left and Hill returned to the court. Hill took the inbounds pass and missed her shot but Dennis grabbed the rebound. Dennis gave the ball back to Hill who put the ball in the basket to put the Mount up 66-55 as time ran out.
Brooke Desserich lost a daughter to DIPG. She spearheads a charity, A Cure Starts Now, to help find a "home run cure."
"When I met Lauren last June, she really wanted to be that voice for children, who couldn't speak for themselves," Desserich said, "It was amazing to listen to her. She felt a weight of responsibility to speak for these kids and that' what moved me."
"This isn't the end of the support," Hill said. "I want people to keep supporting it. I want people to keep with it. I don't think I will ever be aware of how many people this effective. Now that more people know about DIPG, I'm so happy that more people are aware of it.. I'm probably not going to be around to see it but its going to help a lot of people. It is going to help everybody."
