Team Challenge ALS, Marshall jump out of gates with win in tourney opener

Heading into halftime yesterday with just a threepoint lead, Sean Marshall knew Team Challenge ALS wasn’t playing at its best.

Their opponent was playing zone defense, something Challenge ALS wasn’t prepared for. And Marshall noticed he and his teammates weren’t playing with the same intensity that helped them make a run to The Basketball Tournament’s championship game last summer.

“I think we just weren’t playing with the identity that we played with last year,” Marshall said.

That changed quickly in the second half. Marshall made some big 3-pointers, Challenge ALS locked down on defense, and they were on their way. Fueled by a 19-0 third-quarter run, Challenge ALS blew the game open and held on late to defeat Fort Hood Wounded Warriors, 83-75, in the first round of the TBT yesterday in Los Angeles.

A year after Challenge ALS lost in the closing seconds of the TBT championship, they’re hoping to put together another run at the tournament’s $2 million prize, and they’re doing it for more than themselves.

The team, created by Marshall, the former Boston College basketball star, is on a mission to raise awareness for Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as ALS. The terminal illness affects thousands across the country, including former BC baseball captain Pete Frates — who inspired this team in its debut season last summer.

If Challenge ALS wins, Marshall says the team will donate $250,000 of the prize to ALS research.

The No. 1 seed in the West region of the tournament, Challenge ALS will face No. 9 seed CitiTeam Blazers later today in Los Angeles. With a win, Challenge ALS would advance to the Super 16 round of the tournament in two weeks in Atlanta.

Marshall scored a gamehigh 20 points yesterday and was the emotional leader as Challenge ALS went on its big run.

“I’ve been working on this team for the entire year, so for me, it’s not just a basketball game,” Marshall said. “I have my friend’s name on my back, have other friends’ names on the other jerseys, so it means much more than playing in a basketball game for me, and that’s the emotion I play with. That’s the same emotion I played with last year and I’m going to continue to play with that as the tournament gets more intense.

“I think the other guys, starting in the second half, played with that same emotion. That’s what made us so good last year, so we just need to find that early and continue to ride that wave.”