University of Akron men's basketball: Bryan Trimble Jr. launches Zips to victory

If there was any doubt that University of Akron guard Bryan Trimble Jr. is over his separation from the team due to COVID-19 issues, it should be gone now.

Trimble scored a career-high 33 points to lead the Zips to a 91-66 victory over host Bowling Green on Thursday night.

He led four Zips (11-5, 4-2 Mid-American Conference) in double figures in a game in which the Zips struggled some early, took their first lead at 12:02 in the first half and never looked back. By halftime UA had a 12-point lead that only grew in the second half.

Zips forward Ali Ali followed Trimble with 15 points and three rebounds.

Forward Daequon Plowden led Bowling Green (9-9, 2-5) with 20 points and seven rebounds.

The Zips won because they shot at a blistering pace, making 53% (32 of 61) of their shots to 36% (24 of 67) for the Falcons. UA nearly matched that rate on 3-pointers, connecting on 52% (14 of 27) for the game, with 10 of those coming from Trimble.

The only area in which the Zips fell short was rebounding, where the Falcons held a 42-32 advantage.

The shots will not always fall as they did Thursday, and UA coach John Groce knows it, emphasizing that his team needed to pick it up in that area. But Trimble identified a distinct difference Thursday night from Tuesday night's comeback win over Western Michigan.

“Mentally we were more dialed in and focused from the jump,” he said.

They’ll need that attitude to win their third consecutive game in a five-day stretch Saturday against Eastern Michigan.

Here are other takeaways going forward:

Best game since Wright State?

The win over Wright State earlier this season had represented Groce’s benchmark for the rest of the season. It was before COVID-19 issues dictated the fate of his program. The Zips have been resilient since, but they haven’t looked complete.

This was the closest they’ve come to that, Groce said.

“We played much more of a complete game,” he said. “We really affected the game at both ends of the floor, and I thought we really played as a team.”

And had they not fallen behind in the first four minutes of the game, it might have matched the Wright State game in Groce’s evaluation. However, the Zips did something they’d not done with consistency this season – they came out with fire in the second half.

UA enjoyed that 12-point halftime lead, but the Zips essentially cut off the Falcons' air in the second half. Groce pointed out that his team got off to good starts against Kent State, in a loss, and Western Michigan, only to eke out a one-point win this past Tuesday.

“The first four minutes, Bowling Green was the better team,” he said. “They were up 13-9 and I felt like they were really taking it to us, but I mentioned to them at the media [timeout] that it’s like being a fighter. We got hit a few times and we’re bleeding a little bit, but we’re still standing.

"I thought we were unified. Guys were talking in the huddle, seemed to be really locked in and obviously I thought our response the next 16 minutes was terrific.”

Trimble said the game was different in one key way.

“Obviously, this game is a little bit more intense," he said. "If we’re being honest, it means a little bit more. We’re in conference play now. We’re on the road, everyone loves road wins. It’s not easy to win on the road. We get wins on the road, that’s big."

Bryan Trimble Jr. shoots his way back

Trimble has struggled since his return from his layoff.

He missed a total of 20 days, Groce said. He had an impactful performance against Ball State in a win, playing efficiently and scoring 19 points in that game, but he had only made a combined three 3-pointers in those first three games back.

Trimble certainly made up for lost time against the Falcons. He almost tied the school record of 11 3-pointers, making 10 of 14 shots from behind the arc. He had no idea about the record, he said.

“Sitting out 20 [days] is tough,” he said. “Just that whole stretch, I couldn’t do anything. I’m starting to feel good, but to be honest it was my teammates. Guys did a great job of finding me … guys did a great job of passing on time and on target.”

He Trimble didn’t deny it was an effort he needed, however.

“Knowing the time and effort I put in my game, I knew it was coming,” he said. “Like I said, everybody goes through slumps. I just know I’ve got to keep shooting.”

Importance of getting right physically

The Zips will play their third game of the week Saturday night against Eastern Michigan. Groce expressed the importance of the Zips getting right with the short turnaround.

To do so, the coaching and strength staff are doing some creative things, he said.

“[If] we don’t compete at the level we did tonight with our effort, physicality and all of that,” he said, “we’ll get beat Saturday night. We’ve got to play with that same motor, effort, energy, teamism, emotional, mental, physical engagement we had tonight, and that’s my biggest concern moving forward.”

Those creative things include changing their practice time, cryotherapy, stretching and possibly massage therapy.

“We’ve got to get their body feeling good,” he said. “If their bodies feel good and their minds and hearts are in the right place, I like our chances. We’ll play well. I think we’ve got their minds and hearts in a good spot. We just have to get their bodies back between now and Saturday.”

Reach George M. Thomas at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com or on Twitter @ByGeorgeThomas.

Eastern Michigan at Akron

Time: 7 p.m. Saturday

TV/Radio: ESPN3/WHLO (640-AM)

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: University of Akron men throttle Bowling Green 91-66