Seikaly Worried by Uncle’s Kidnaping

Syracuse University center Rony Seikaly was in the starting lineup for Saturday night’s basketball game despite the agonizing cloud of doubt created by the kidnaping of his uncle.

“Playing is the last thing on my mind,” the 6-foot 10-inch junior said before the No. 11 Orangemen’s 59-53 victory over the University of Connecticut. “I don’t know what to feel. I don’t know what I should do.”

Seikaly’s uncle, Jack Seikaly, a Lebanese-born American businessmen, was abducted Friday outside Beirut College by four gunmen. Police said the kidnaping was for a ransom and unrelated to the series of political kidnapings that have plagued the Middle East country.

“I don’t know how they could have got him. He has a lot of bodyguards,” Seikaly said.

The Lebanese-born basketball player said his parents, Fred and Marlene Seikaly of Athens, Greece, had visited his uncle two weeks ago.

“I had a bad feeling. I called them every night. I just had a feeling. My mother would say ‘Everything is OK,’ but I kept wondering what the hell are they doing there,” he said.

Seikaly said his uncle was planning to leave Beirut soon.

“He was just trying to tie things up,” he said.

Seikaly scored 10 points in Saturday night’s game as Connecticut held Syracuse (19-3, 8-2) to its lowest point production of the season.

It was the first time Syracuse, which has been averaging 84 points a game, failed to score more than 60 points this season.

Sophomore guard Sherman Douglas scored 16 points to lead the Orangemen.

Connecticut (8-13 and 2-8) was led by Tate George’s 16 points.