Eleanor Roosevelt boys defeat Wise

The question posed to Eleanor Roosevelt senior guard Chaun Miller elicited a pause, then a laugh, yet the answer was anything but a joke. What has it been like filling in at point guard, a position he had never played, while senior Akil Charles recovers from a broken elbow?

“Behind the SATs, that’s probably the hardest thing I ever did,” Miller said. “You don’t really know how hard the point guard position is until you have to play it.”

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Against No. 13 Wise on Friday night in Upper Marlboro, the No. 10 Raiders showed their growing pains as they played without Charles and starting senior forward Shawn Petty. But Miller helped Eleanor Roosevelt overcome its offensive struggles for a 54-47 win.

Before the season, the 6-foot-3 Miller had played just about every position on the floor except the point — even center as a freshman. But Charles broke his left elbow in a late November scrimmage and Miller had to learn the nuances of running an offense instead of just carrying the scoring load.

And without Petty, a standout football player and Maryland recruit who was taking his official visit to College Park, the Raiders (3-1) seemed out of sync early.

The persistent defenses of both teams put points at a premium through three quarters. The Pumas led 22-17 at the half and 30-26 to start the final quarter before the offenses started flowing. Senior guard Keith Shivers led Wise (2-2) with 19 points.

Eleanor Roosevelt took its first lead of the game with 6 minutes 45 seconds left on a three-pointer by junior guard Trevor Evans, who scored 14 second-half points.

Miller, who grew more confident as the game went on, scored 13 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter.

“He’s doing an excellent job considering he’s never played it before,” Evans said of his teammate. “And I think we have to help him and continue pushing him and encouraging him.”

Added Miller: “My coaches gave me the opportunity to get better and I took advantage of it and I got better. That’s what I’m doing and that’s my role on this team, to keep us calm and take control. And I’m dealing with it until Akil comes back.”

What helped the Raiders weather their early offensive struggles was defense. Eleanor Roosevelt used its length and height to notch 16 steals, including five from Miller.

“In the first half we couldn’t make anything but our defense kept us in the game,” Eleanor Roosevelt Coach Brendan O’Connell said. “I think we were lucky to be [close] at the half.”