Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Lauren Hill takes the court for her college debut (VIDEO)

Lauren Hill

Lauren Hill

AP

“Let’s not call it my last game. This is my first collegiate game.”

Those were the words of Mount St. Joseph freshman forward Lauren Hill Sunday afternoon during an on-air interview following her game-opening basket against Hiram College. Hill’s story has been a popular one in college basketball, with her battle against a rare and inoperable form of brain cancer changing the circumstances of this game.

Originally scheduled for November 13, the game was moved up to November 2 with Hiram College and the NCAA on board with the scheduling change. The #Layup4Lauren initiative has seen college and professional athletes join the cause, recording themselves attempting a layup with their non-dominant hand after spinning around five times.

And in order to get Hill her shot attempt Sunday, Mount St. Joseph ran a play that yielded mixed results in the team’s practices and scrimmage. However there were no such issues at the Cintas Center, as Hill made the basket and was then swarmed in celebration by her teammates. Hill was given the game ball shortly thereafter. In her first college basketball game, Lauren Hill scored the first official points of the 2014-15 season.

At halftime, Hill was awarded the USBWA Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award with the legendary coach among those in attendance.

Video credit: Anthony Wireman

Follow @raphiellej