LEWISTON – The fight that broke out during a boys’ varsity basketball game between Lewiston and Lawrence in Fairfield on Friday night has resulted in academic and athletic suspensions for players and coaches at both schools.

Lewiston athletic director Jason Fuller on Monday meted out the punishment, but, citing the privacy of those punished, declined to say who or how many players and coaches were subject to sanctions.

“In terms of who and how many and what (the punishment is), I’m not getting into that,” Fuller said. “We feel that, based on the information that we have and things we have, we’re administering appropriate disciplinary actions on the individuals that need to be handled.”

Lawrence athletic director Bill MacManus echoed Fuller’s comments and declined to specify the number or length of the Lawrence suspensions.

By mutual agreement, the game, which Lawrence led, 45-35 at the time of the incident, will be considered a completed game, with Lawrence the winner.

“We just thought it was in the best interests of the kids,” MacManus said.

The game was suspended at the end of the third quarter after pushing and shoving between players from the two teams prompted players and, according to police, approximately 50 spectators, to spill out onto the court. Several police officers were called to the scene. No arrests were made, and no one was injured.

Fuller, who was not at the game, drove to Fairfield on Friday night after the game to meet with MacManus and review videotape of the incident. The administrators’ investigation into the incident continued through Sunday.

“We spent the weekend looking at video, talking to players, parents, people that were at the game,” Fuller said.

Administrators followed the recommendations of state high school basketball commissioner Peter Webb, which were based on national federation rules, as well as the policies of the Maine Principals’ Association and their own schools.

“All three levels (state basketball, MPA and Lewiston High School) have been violated in this,” Fuller said.

“We’re pretty much doing what Peter asked us to do in his recommendations,” MacManus said.

The Blue Devils were already short-handed going into the Lawrence game, having had one player quit the team and another on academic suspension. Lewiston has had 14 players listed on its varsity roster for much of the season.

Lawrence has a home game tonight against Hampden Academy. Lewiston’s next game is tonight at Brunswick High School. Fuller said the school will have a team on the floor.

“We’ll find a team,” he said. “We will play at Brunswick with a group of kids that are going to do the best they can.”

Fuller and MacManus declined to say how many or which coaches were facing disciplinary action. Under national federation guidelines, coaches who become involved in an altercation after leaving the bench, even in an attempt to stop it, are subject to ejection and a one-game suspension.

Lewiston head coach Pat Blais did not return a call seeking comment.

Both administrators said they hope the incident can ultimately be a learning experience for athletes, coaches and fans.

“It’s unfortunate that it happened and it’s not good for basketball,” MacManus said. “What you do is you take something negative and you turn it into a positive learning experience and hopefully both sides will learn you just don’t do this, because it just takes away from high school sports.”

“We need to sit down and talk to kids and coaches so they understand how to handle these situations, and hopefully learn from some of the things that happened so we can curb some of those things and hopefully prevent something from happening like this again,” Fuller said.