Jerami Grant’s second game back wasn’t nearly as dominant as his first.

On Tuesday, Grant glistened in his first game of the season, posting his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

On Saturday, though, Grant shot just 2-for-8 from the field and 2-for-6 from the line, struggling to generate any consistency. Grant, who finished with six points, wasn’t much of a factor as No. 9 Syracuse knocked off Colgate 69-50 in front of 25,519 at the Carrier Dome.

“Just had to be a little bit more aggressive,” Grant said. “That’s it.”

Forward C.J. Fair said Colgate played Grant to shoot jumpers. He usually makes those shots, but just never found a rhythm.

All of Grant’s shots were good looks, Fair said. It was just one of those nights.

“Jerami’s used to getting a couple baskets close to the basket,” Fair said, “then expanding his game.”

He never got that posterizing dunk he had against Cornell. Or the easy tip-in he had off a Fair miss. The easy bucket never came.

Grant missed a layup, a 3, a jumper, two free throws and another jumper before finally hitting two free throws to give Syracuse a 19-18 lead with 7:54 to go in the first half.

He was still his energetic, athletic self, though.

Grant pinned an Austin Tillotson layup to the glass, soaring through the air and reaching the ball before it hit the backboard. He forced a steal. He wreaked havoc in Syracuse’s suffocating press and its well-spaced zone.

But he didn’t have the same offensive firepower he had four days ago.

“I’m going to come back next game and do the same thing,” Grant said. “Attack the basket and get to the free throw line.”

Published on November 16, 2013 at 11:18 pm

Contact Trevor: tbhass@syr.edu | @TrevorHass