“Gym rat” Adam Seiko continues hot shooting in win versus UCSD
Credit: Don De Mars/ EVT Sports
In Wednesday night’s game against the UCSD Tritons, the San Diego State Aztecs received a huge boost in the first half from senior Adam Seiko. Seiko has been with the program the longest out of any of the current Aztecs. He has always been the quintessential team player, always making the right plays. That veteran presence and smart play were on full display against UCSD.
Seiko has played well for the Aztecs, especially of late. He played a major role in picking up some of the slack for the injured Lamont Butler the past four games. Regarding Butler’s injury, Seiko stated, “it’s definitely given more guys the opportunity to step up,” and he has done just that.
Seiko has always consistently been one of SDSU’s best defenders. His quick hands allow him to get into passing lanes, get deflections and also force a lot of loose balls, as he did on numerous occasions on Wednesday. But, it has been Seiko’s offense that has provided a much-needed boost for this Aztec team. Coming into the game against the Tritons, Seiko was on a hot streak, connecting on his last seven three-pointers. His 4-4 shooting against St. Mary’s helped the Aztecs secure a substantial non-conference win.
The streak of hot shooting did not end there.
Seiko hit his first three of the night off a pass from Matt Bradley that gave the Aztecs a 13-2 lead. Following a quick 8-0 run from the Tritons to bring them within three, Seiko led a 13-2 run in which he scored or assisted on 10 of the 13 points.
He started the run by hitting a three on the wing off a pass from Chad Baker-Mazzara. Then off a steal, Seiko dribbled the ball down the floor and left a defender in his wake with a sweet euro-step, finishing with his right hand on the left side of the hoop. Later, he continued the run by pulling up off a screen and hitting another three. Finally, in transition, he dished a beautiful no-look dime to Baker-Mazzara for a wide-open layup to cap off the huge run. Aztec fans rose to their feet in appreciation. The Seiko-led run gave the Aztecs a commanding 14-point lead which they never looked back from.
“He is a guy who is a gym rat,” SDSU assistant coach David Velasquez told EVT over the summer. “Adam Seiko is always in the gym.” All the hard work he has put in is paying off.
Seiko ran his impressive consecutive three-point makes to 10 before missing one with 5:27 left in the first half. Seiko finished the game 3-for-6 from deep, improving his three-point percentage to 44.1% on the year. “It feels good to see those shots go in,” Seiko remarked after the game.
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Seiko finished the game with 11 points, two assists, and one steal with zero turnovers in 30 minutes. This is his third consecutive game, scoring in double figures. The Aztecs have won all three contests.
“You want to talk about a guy who lives in the gym,” Velasquez said. “Adam Seiko, when he leaves here, there are going to be legends and stories about how often he was in the gym.” It seems as if that hard work in the gym is paying off for Seiko.
Cameron is a student finishing up a degree in Media Studies at San Diego State University. Having grown up in East County, Cameron has attended countless Aztec basketball and football games with his parents who have been season ticket holders for both sports since the early 90s. His favorite sport is basketball which motivated him to cover the SDSU basketball team.