Trimble passes 1st test, leads Geneva over Kaneland
On the eve of troubling final exams, Geneva's Dan Trimble admitted it. Academically, he's not a numbers man.
Funny, because the numbers he crunched Kaneland with Tuesday were just right. The slender forward put up game highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds in Geneva's 61-51 Western Sun Conference victory over the visiting Knights.
"I was just trying not to think of finals, because that's a big worry right now," said the 6-foot-6 senior. "Spanish, that might get me. And algebra, it's going to be a tough one."
X's and O's-wise Trimble was A-OK. He sank two of his three 3-pointers and grabbed 4 offensive rebounds in the first half, helping Geneva (12-4, 6-1) bounce from a quick 7-2 deficit to a 37-21 halftime lead over coach Brian Johnson's Kaneland Knights (9-5, 3-3).
Geneva coach Phil Ralston credited Vikings assistant Mike Pope with mentoring Trimble on aspects of his game besides shooting. Whether working the boards or the full-court zone press, Trimble and Co. were on top of it.
"Even though they weren't really that far ahead in the beginning, it was like a table just flipped and everything was going our way all of a sudden," said Ralston, who has the Vikings a half-game ahead of idle 5-1 DeKalb in the WSC. "Everything (Kaneland) tried to do to gimmick us with the switching man (defense) and the zone, none of it worked."
Shooting 9 of 12 from the floor, Geneva outscored Kaneland 25-12 in the second quarter to blow open a slim 12-9 lead after the first. Of course, it wasn't all Trimble.
Kaneland's Chaon Denlinger hit a shot that had the Knights within 25-18. Geneva's Brandon Beitzel - who with Connor Quinn harassed 6-foot-9 Dave Dudzinski defensively - converted a three-point play to start a 10-0 Vikings run. Nolan Block scored off a turnover, Scott Wendt sank a pair of free throws, and Trimble was fouled hitting a putback and made the free throw for a 35-18 lead. Each of those Vikings finished in double figures.
"I think boxing out's really a gut-check and playing hard," Johnson said. "The boys didn't play hard in the first half, and they'll tell you that. They were just going through the motions. But the second half they played harder, and you didn't see as many offensive rebounds and as many easy baskets."
Geneva led 49-34 entering the fourth when Kaneland guard Ryley Bailey made a 3 and then a bank shot, and Dudzinski's 3-point play pulled the Knights within 51-42 with 6:15 to play. Wendt ended the momentum with 4 free throws and one of his 3 steals, and with 1:10 left Alex Frederking gave Geneva a 61-49 lead.
"Being down 16 against these guys is real tough, because they do a real good job of being patient once they're up by that much," said Holy Cross commit Dudzinski, whose 11 points followed Bailey's team-high 15. "So, I really liked our intensity in the second half. But we just came out so flat it was too much."