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Lauren Hill's cancer won't stop teen from playing basketball

NCAA allows Mount Saint Joseph University to move up season opener to allow teen with cancer chance to play basketball.

By Danielle Haynes

CINCINNATI, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Lauren Hill, a teen with terminal brain cancer, will play her first and likely final game of college basketball before a sold-out crowd at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Mount Saint Joseph University freshman was diagnosed with a brain tumor in November 2013.

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She was supposed to make her college basketball debut in a few weeks, but knowing she may not physically be able to play, the NCAA allowed the game between Mount Saint Joseph and Hiram College to be moved up to Nov. 2.

The game was also moved from the 2,000-seat arena at her home school to the 10,000-seat Cintas Center where Xavier University teams play.

"Lauren is as big as LeBron James today. This game sold out as fast as the recent Cavs/Pacers NBA exhibition game at Cintas Center," Xavier Univeristy said of the decision.

Tickets for the game sold out in less than 30 minutes.

"We believe in doing something like that for someone who is special and a special player for us," coach Dan Benjamin told WLWT-TV, Cincinnati. "They're our player, we're going to take care of them."

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