Providence was up by one point before bedlam erupted in Amica Mutual Pavilion less than six minutes into the second half of the Friars' Saturday afternoon game against No. 17 St. John's.
Friars graduate forward Duncan Powell committed a Flagrant 2 foul on a driving Bryce Hopkins, a Red Storm graduate wing who spent the previous three seasons at Providence.
Massive brawl breaks out in Providence after an unnecessary Flagrant-2 foul from Duncan Powell on Bryce Hopkins.Punches thrown and Powell has been ejected.pic.twitter.com/t41E6EmZfW
— Brian Rauf (@brauf33)February 14, 2026
That led to a fight that resulted in six of the game's seven ejections. A raucous Friars student section had front-row seats to the unhinged altercation, which eventually shifted toward the Red Storm bench and then, notably, saw Powell try to swing on St. John's forward Dillon Mitchell, who ducked out of the way beneath the basket just in time.
Hopkins had been hearing jeers from the Providence crowd well before Powell took a hack at him on the break. Following a stoppage in play that lasted close to 20 minutes while the referees sifted through the punishments, St. John's (20-5, 13-1 Big East) took control of the game and took down Providence (11-15, 4-11) 79-69 in the testy affair.
The seventh ejection came later in the second half when Providence's Jamier Jones was thrown out after he was called for a Flagrant 2 foul on St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor.
Here's the complete list of ejected players:
F Dillon Mitchell (St. John's)
G Kelvin Odih (St. John's)
F Ruben Prey (St. John's)
F Sadiku Ibine Ayo (St. John's)
G Jaylin Sellers (Providence)
F Duncan Powell (Providence)
F Jamier Jones (Providence)
The six-ejection scuffle headlined the heated Big East contest, though. Four St. John's players were booted, and two Providence players got the hook because of that skirmish.
In the wake of the lengthy delay, the officials informed the coaches of the appropriate mid-game discipline, and Friar faithful chanted, "Duncan Powell!"
Providence fans chant Duncan Powell's name for getting tossed after a dirty foul on former Friar Bryce Hopkinspic.twitter.com/FQUUZW2tuQ
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68)February 14, 2026
As for the game itself, St. John's rebounded from Providence's rally that started at the end of the first half and continued into the beginning of the second.
The Red Storm, who have now won 11 games in row, were led by Dylan Darling's 23 points.
St. John's head coach Rick Pitino, who led Providence to a Final Four in 1987,told reporters postgamethat the league will handle Saturday's altercation and that he didn't want his players to be asked about it.
But, naturally, there was still some reflection.
"I feel like we responded in the best way possible," St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor said,per The Associated Press.
"Coming into this game we knew exactly how rowdy this environment was going to be — not only for [Hopkins], but for all of us. We knew it was going be tough. You have to have a great mindset to come in here and win, and I think that's what we did."
