New Mexico St. suspends operations of men's basketball team

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico State has suspended operations of its men's basketball program and placed its coaching staff on paid administrative leave due to allegations unrelated to a fatal shooting last year.

The school said in a statement Friday night the new allegations involved potential violations of university policy and were separate from the Nov. 19 shooting of a student from a rival school. Aggies power forward Mike Peake was suspended in early December while a third-party investigator looks into his possible involvement in the shooting.

New Mexico State's game against California Baptist on Saturday was canceled.

The New Mexico State University Board of Regent issued a statement in support of the decision for the program to suspend operations.

Peake, 21, has not been charged in the pre-dawn shooting on the University of New Mexico’s campus in Albuquerque hours before the host Lobos were to play the Aggies. That game was canceled, along with the Dec. 3 rematch in Las Cruces.

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