Today is a sad day, yet a triumphant day for Women’s College Basketball. Let me explain. Today at 2:00 PM there will be a women’s college basketball game televised nationally. Yes, it is a few weeks ahead of most college basketball games but the reason they are playing is to let an incredibly courageous young lady play in possibly her one and only college basketball game. Lauren Hill was an outstanding high school basketball player with aspirations of playing college basketball – until – she started getting dizzy and started getting migraines – both that affected her ability to play at the level she excelled at. She has been diagnosed with an inoperable form of brain cancer called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPG). Lauren is now a college freshman and a player on the Mount St. Joseph womens basketball team. Mount St. Joseph was to play Hiram on November 15th but because of Lauren’s decline in health, both schools and the NCAA agreed to move up the date to today so Lauren would have the opportunity of achieving her dream of playing college basketball. Because of her worsening brain cancer she has lost a log of strength and no longer has the endurance she once had but nonetheless, she will achieve her dream today. The game will be played at Xavier University and the game is a sellout. It is anticipated that there will be 10,500 fans to celebrate Lauren’s first and most likely last college game. Tickets to the game were sold out in 30 minutes. What a tribute! Elena Del Donne, a former University of Delaware great, and a star in the WNBA was taken to tears when she heard of Lauren’s inoperable brain cancer. Elena has Lyme disease and as one who knows how a disease can limit her play, she was deeply moved to hear of Laurens plight. College basketball teams across the country are sending their number “22” jerseys to Lauren so she can sign them and then auction them off to raise money for others with brain cancer. Many NBA and WNBA players have stepped up in one way or another to honor Lauren and Elena, herself, changed a speaking engagement so she could attend today’s game. Lauren will probably start and then rest and she might get additional playing time based on how she is feeling – but, at least this courageous young lady will achieve her dream. Prayers to you Lauren! The game will be televised at 2:00 PM Eastern Time on Comcast MASN2 and FCSA and again at 4:00PM on FCSC. The game will also be streamed online FREE via Fox Sports Go online – even for individuals who normally cannot access the service. FOX announced Friday the game will also air on FOX Sports Regional Networks, including in Ohio, and FOX College Sports. The Big East is producing the game . Grab a Kleenix before you read this last part – because I had to when typing it. Lauren’s coach can hardly wait for the sellout crowd of 10,000-plus to erupt when No. 22 takes the floor. She asked me, Coach, am I going to start? Dan Benjamin said. I said, Yes. I want to hear the roar of that crowd as you come off the bench … I want to see 10,000 people stand up and give you what you deserve because you have done a great job bringing us awareness for this disease. I want to see what the crowd gives back to you. Imagine how Lauren will feel. Feel the goosebumps. I think its going to be an awesome day for her, Benjamin said. littleton.wickedlocal/article/ZZ/20141031/NEWS/141039986
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 17:27:32 +0000
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