NMSU SHELVES HOOPS SEASON
New Mexico State’s men’s basketball season came to an abrupt halt Sunday after the release of a police report that detailed three players ganging up on a teammate and attacking him in a case that includes allegations of false imprisonment, harassment and criminal sexual contact.
“It’s time for this program to reset,” Chancellor Dan Arvizu said in the statement that announced the decision.
Arvizu said the shutdown was in response to a report filed to campus police on Friday by a player against three teammates. According to the report, the victim said that on Feb. 6, his teammates held him down, “removed his clothing exposing his buttocks and began to slap his (buttocks).”
The victim, whose name was redacted in the report along with those of the other players, said other incidents involving inappropriate physical and sexual touching had been occurring in locker rooms and on road trips since last summer. Regarding the latest instance, the victim told police he had no choice but to let this happen “because it’s a 3-on-1 type of situation.”
Arvizu, who will be leaving the university in June after regents recently chose not to renew his contract, said “this action is clearly needed, especially after receiving additional facts and reviewing investigation reports related to the hazing allegations involving student-athletes on the team.” Arvizu placed coach Greg Heiar and his staff on administrative leave at the same time he suspended the season Friday.
The allegations come less than three months after the suspension of forward Mike Peake, who is being investigated in the case of the fatal shooting of a student from the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque on Nov. 19.
Soccer
At the end of a week when defending champion Manchester City was accused by the Premier League of breaching a slew of financial regulations, Pep Guardiola’s players issued a defiant response on the field by beating Aston Villa 3-1. Another win at struggling leader Arsenal on Wednesday and City will wipe out what was an eight-point gap as recently as Jan. 19.
Tennis
Wu Yibing is the the first Chinese player to win an ATP Tour title in a three-set, all-tiebreaker thriller to beat John Isner in the Dallas Open.
Jannik Sinner of Italy won his seventh singles title and first of the season by beating American Maxime Cressy 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the Open Sud de France final.
Mixed martial arts
Islam Makhachev defied a rowdy crowd and a sustained challenge from Alexander Volkanovski to cement his supremacy in the UFC lightweight division in a grueling fight in Perth, Western Australia. In the main event of UFC 284, Makhachev defended his 155-pound belt with a unanimous decision.
Winter sports
Madison Chock and Evan Bates delivered the seasonbest free dance they needed to edge Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nkolaj Sorensen and win the ice dance at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.
Swiss skier Marco Odermatt won the men’s downhill for his first career medal at a world championships.
USA Luge’s Emily Sweeney picked up her teambest fifth medal of the World Cup season, a bronze in a women’s singles race.
College softball
San Diego State homered three times, including a grand slam by All-American Mac Barbara, in an 11-1 victory over Northern Illinois in six innings at SDSU Softball Stadium. The Aztecs (4-1) posted season highs in runs (11) and hits (14), and won by its largest margin (10) of the season.
Utah shut out UC San Diego 7-0 at the La Jolla Invitational. Gabby Williams allowed three runs (one earned) in 32⁄3 innings and had one of the two Tritons hits.