Hamline has cancelled its Saturday game against Gustavus Adolphus. Hamline athletcs file photo

Following a fight in which freshman Eugene Lawrence punched a young woman and broke her jaw, Lawrence has been kicked off the team and the rest of the team and head coach Nelson Whitmore have been suspended indefinitely.

Lawrence, who was charged with felony second degree assault, appeared in a Washington courtroom on Jan. 2, and was released on $5,000 bail. 

The school announced it would not play Saturday's men's basketball game against Gustavus Adolphus.

When reached by D3sports.com, Whitmore declined to comment and referred reporters to the school's statement.

The statement reads as follows, as cited by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

"After a thorough external investigation and internal review of the matter, including interviews with the players traveling with the team, we have disciplined a number of the players on our men's basketball team.

"One of our players is accused of seriously injuring a young woman on New Year's Eve while the team was in Spokane, Washington for a tournament. Eugene Lawrence has been released to the custody of his parents in his home state. He was dismissed from the basketball program and suspended from the university pending a formal hearing.

"Fourteen students face disciplinary procedures for student handbook violations and team suspensions of varying lengths of time for violating standards set forth in Hamline's athletic code of conduct. The team's head coach is suspended indefinitely. As a consequence, Saturday's scheduled men's basketball game will be forfeited."

In the eyes of the NCAA, the game is a no-contest, rather than a forfeit. There is no provision in the NCAA rules for forfeiting a game before it starts.

The statement continued: "This is an extraordinarily serious incident and we are treating it as such. We hold our players to the highest standards as students, athletes, and citizens. Behavior contrary to the principles set forth in our codes of conduct will not be tolerated."

Although no official statement has been issued to the effect, Hamline is expected to play its scheduled Jan. 9 game, at home vs. St. Olaf.