Help is on the way for the UNC Wilmington men’s basketball team, which has made its way through the first part of the 2008-09 season without the services of several players.

Junior swing man Montez Downey, left, has been cleared to see action Sunday when the Seahawks (3-6) take on Vermont (4-3) in a non-conference matchup at cozy Patrick Gym in Burlington, Vt. The Catamounts topped the Seahawks, 84-73, last February in an ESPN BracketBusters clash at Trask Coliseum behind all-purpose forward Marqus Blakely’s double-double of 19 points and 16 rebounds.

      “Montez has practiced in portions and has added a little each day,” third-year UNCW head coach Benny Moss said. Downey started the first three games of the campaign before having surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. “This will be a very challenging trip for our guys and it will be great to have Montez back with us.”

      The Seahawks have dropped three straight and six of their last seven outings. An unforgiving schedule has featured five contests away from Trask Coliseum and little time to practice in between. Moss said his club has used exam week to catch up and regroup, both on the court and in the classroom, in preparation for the 1 p.m. tipoff in frosty New England.

      “We’ve been able to work on a lot of the things on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively. Our attention level has been good. It’s been a very successful week of practice.

      “Exam week is a difficult time, so we’ve tried to transition them from a tough academic week to focusing on the task at hand on the court. As coaches, we have to get them physically and mentally ready to play after a tough week of exams.”

      The Seahawks will need that extra focus for UVM. The Catamounts and fourth-year chief Mike Lonergan are a solid unit, with a potent inside-outside combination of Blakely and shooting guard Mike Trimboli. The 6-5, 225-pound Blakely is averaging 18.4 points and 9.7 rebounds, while the 6-1, 180-pound Trimboli ranks second on the team in scoring with 14.6 ppg.

      Vermont opened the season with a tough 80-79 overtime loss to George Mason of the CAA on Nov. 15 in Burlington. Since then, the Catamounts have also dropped an overtime decision at Maryland and a contest at No. 3 Pitt.

      Moss said, “They’ve a very well-balanced team. Three of their losses were to good teams, and we’ll have to play at a very high level to travel there and win.”

      For UVM, it starts and ends with Blakely and Trimboli. The tandem has started all seven games to anchor the Catamounts, who are shooting a hefty 46.5 percent from the field and a solid 71.3 percent at the free throw line. The Catamounts own a 3-1 record in the 3,266-seat venue this season and a 72-17 mark over the last seven years.

      According to Moss, “”Marqus Blakely is a double-double waiting to happen. We had trouble handling him last year, but if you only focus on him, you’re going to be in trouble. Mike Trimboli is a very good perimeter player and, combined with Blakely, gives them a great inside-outside combination.”

      The Seahawks stand 5-4 against America East Conference opponents through the years, playing Vermont, Boston University, Maine and New Hampshire. The trip to the Green Mountain State will be the farthest north in the continental United States the Seahawks have traveled since dropping a 69-53 decision at Maine in Orono on Feb. 7, 1980.  -Courtesy UNCW

Photo: Eric Bartsch