The St. Bonaventure's men's basketball team shut its season down in an unprecedented move Tuesday, refusing to play its final two regular-season games because it forfeited six Atlantic 10 victories for using an ineligible player.

"We are extremely disappointed that St. Bonaventure has taken this action," Atlantic 10 commissioner Linda Bruno said. "The Atlantic 10 Presidents Council will discuss the university's decision at their April 1 meeting."

The Bonnies will forfeit the remaining games -- at Massachusetts on Wednesday and against Dayton on Saturday -- and finish the season with a 1-15 record in the Atlantic 10. The Bonnies, who have been barred from the A-10 tournament, were 12-13 with junior center Jamil Terrell in the lineup but the school hadn't disclosed if it was forfeiting all games that Terrell played in this season or just A-10 games.

St. Bonaventure spokesperson Dave Ferguson told ESPN.com that the players, not the coaches or the university, made the decision not to play the final two games of the season, and added that he wasn't sure if the decision was unanimous.

"There was anger at the university, anger at the conference, anger in general as to what was happening to them,'' Ferguson said. "They were looking forward to finishing high in the Atlantic 10 tournament. They had realistic expectations that they would win the conference tournament. Everyone is disheartened. This has been a heartbreaking week for all of these guys -- coaches and players.''

Ferguson said the coaching staff did want to continue the season and play the final two games, but no one threatened players with the loss of scholarships and there was no coercion from the university.

Once the NCAA completes its investigation and sends its infractions report to the committee, they'll either accept or add on to the moves made by the Atlantic 10 and St. Bonaventure.

The A-10 only has jurisdiction over conference games, which is why St. Bonaventure's overall record still appears at 13-14. St. Bonaventure has not volunteered to forfeit its six non-conference victories, wins the NCAA could strip from the Bonnies.

"My heart goes out to the players," St. Bonaventure president Robert J. Wickenheiser said Tuesday. "I spoke with one of the players last evening and he shared with me the feelings of hurt and confusion the team has about not being able to play in the tournament. I very much sympathize with the emotions they are feeling at this time."

Terrell was declared ineligible for failing to meet NCAA junior college transfer guidelines. Sources told The Buffalo News in Monday's editions that Terrell did not have an associate's degree from Coastal Georgia Community College in Brunswick, Ga., but had earned a certificate in welding.

Course work in such a trade would not satisfy the NCAA's core curriculum requirements for junior college transfers, who must have minimum credits in core areas such as English, history and science. The Associated Press reported that school officials declined to say what guidelines he might have failed to meet.

"I want to emphasize that none of these actions indicates any wrongdoing by Jamil Terrell, who was accepted as a student in good standing," Wickenheiser said. "My own involvement in the original decision to accept Jamil was founded on my desire to help him. I made this decision and I accept full responsibility for this turn of events."

Massachusetts athletic director Ian McCaw told ESPN.com Tuesday that St. Bonaventure athletic director Gothard Lane said the school agreed to make a financial payment for the lost revenue from Wednesday's forfeited game, which could have earned anywhere between $50,000-$100,000 for the Minutemen.

The Minutemen had sold 3,000 tickets for the game, but that didn't include anticipated walkup sales. As a result, McCaw said the exact amount will be determined soon, and that season-ticket holders could use their St. Bonaventure tickets for Monday's A-10 playoff game against either George Washington or Duquesne.

"We're disappointed,'' McCaw said. "This is quite unprecedented. But we'll move forward and prepare for our game against Saint Joseph's (Saturday) and the playoff game Monday.''

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, the university said the sanctions left the players angry, frustrated and dismayed. The school said they "lacked enthusiasm and motivation needed to perform successfully in the games."

The forfeits mean UMass will earn a first-round home game in the A-10 tournament. First-round games are on campus sites before the tournament moves to Dayton.

Terrell joined the Bonnies last year after spending the previous two seasons at Coastal Georgia. He started 18 of the 25 games he appeared in for St. Bonaventure before sitting out last Wednesday's 94-89 overtime victory over George Washington when questions of his eligibility were raised. Terrell was declared ineligible a day later.

Because of the sanctions, five teams will have byes for the opening round of the A-10 tournament. Dayton, Saint Joseph's and Xavier have already clinched byes. There will be three opening-round games.

Temple, which had clinched a bye, now has not because of Rhode Island earning a forfeited win. Richmond, which has clinched the third seed in the West, will now receive a bye because St. Bonaventure is locked into last place in the East.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.