One common pattern between the Lion air and Ethopian air crash is, that the later/last manual trim up commanded from the coloum switches are in both cases only short blips, followed by 5 second trim down from the MCAS system.
I find it hard to believe that both pilots clinging on the control coloums for their dare life to get nose up do not try harder/longer on the electric trim as long as engaged and not cut out.
I assume that there is more to the story.