Lauren Hill, the inspirational 19-year-old freshman basketball player at Mount St. Joseph University died Friday morning, succumbing to her ongoing battle with brain cancer, reported The Associated Press.

"She's made an impact on the world, more so than me -- more than I ever will do," said Dan Benjamin, Hill's basketball coach. "I've gotten so many emails and phone calls from all over the world. People are contacting me because they want to share her story."

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A year and a half ago, Hill was a high school student getting ready for college, and had decided to play basketball at Division III Mount St. Joseph in suburban Cincinnati. A few weeks later, Hill began getting dizzy while playing for her high school team in nearby Lawrenceburg, Indiana. After a visit to the doctor, tests found that she had a tumor in her brain. They told her that she had less than two years to live.

"Lauren Hill's bravery, enthusiasm and strength were an inspiration not only to those who knew her best but also to the millions of people she touched around the world by sharing her story," NCAA president Mark Emmert said Friday in a statement. "Lauren achieved a lasting and meaningful legacy, and her beautiful spirit will continue to live on."

Hill then dedicated herself to playing college basketball and raising money for cancer research and treatment. Her nonprofit foundation helped to raise more than $1.5 million for cancer research.

"I'm spreading awareness and also teaching people how to live in the moment because the next moment's not promised," Hill told the AP after one of her team's practices.

"She not only became a spotlight on the lack of funding for cancer research, but she most certainly has become a beacon guiding researchers for years to come," said Brooke Desserich, the co-founder of her nonprofit foundation. "Especially after this kind of diagnosis, your perspective on life and what you value changes."

The NCAA helped Hill reach her dream of playing in a college basketball game by agreeing to let Mount St. Joseph move up its opening game against Hiram College by two weeks as Hill's condition worsened. Xavier University offered its 10,000-seat arena so more people could attend. Tickets sold out in less than an hour.

When the Nov. 2 game came around, the tumor had affected her sight so much that she had to shoot with her non-dominant hand. With Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt and an impressive cast of WNBA players on hand, Hill took a pass and made a left-handed layup only 17 seconds into the game. She also made the last basket of the game, a right-handed layup.

"It's a dream come true," she said at the time. "To play on a college court, to put my foot down on the floor and hear the roar of the crowd -- I just love it so much. I love basketball. Everything that happened today was amazing. I'm truly happy, it's a really good day."

TagsLauren Hill, 19, Dies of Brain Cancer, Mount St. Joseph's, Lauren Hill