Duncan Powell took Bryce Hopkins to the ground on a fast break at Amica Mutual Pavilion on Saturday afternoon, and Valentine’s Day in Providence turned into the ugliest scene college basketball has witnessed this season.
Seven players were ejected. Security flooded the court. The game stopped for nearly 20 minutes. And when it was over, No. 17 St. John’s walked off with a 79-69 victory and its 11th consecutive win while the Big East office prepared to review footage that will almost certainly result in additional suspensions.
Hopkins’s Return to Providence Made the Matchup Personal
Hopkins spent three seasons at Providence before transferring to St. John’s last spring. He was an All-Big East First Team selection for the Friars in 2023, averaging 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds before knee injuries derailed his final two seasons in Rhode Island. The Providence faithful had been jeering him since warmups, and the student section made its feelings clear throughout the first half.
Providence trailed by 13 early but rallied to take a 40-39 lead with 14:25 remaining. That’s when Powell, a Georgia Tech transfer playing his first season for the Friars, committed a Flagrant 2 foul that sent Hopkins crashing to the hardwood on a breakaway layup attempt. Hopkins popped up and went directly at Powell.
Both benches emptied. Powell swung at St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell, who ducked out of the way beneath the basket just in time. Coaches, officials, and security spent nearly a minute separating players while the crowd roared.
Officials paused the game for 19 minutes to sort through the carnage. Six players were ejected from the initial melee: Powell and Jaylin Sellers for Providence; Mitchell, Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey, and Sadiku Ibine Ayo for St. John’s. The latter three were tossed for leaving the bench area. A seventh Providence player, Jamier Jones, was ejected later for a Flagrant 2 foul on Zuby Ejiofor with five minutes remaining.
No love between these two teams on Valentine’s Day. PC drops to 4-11 in conference play after a 79-69 loss to No. 17 St. John’s.
Providence forward Duncan Powel’s flagrant 2 personal foul on Bryce Hopkins and the ensuing brawl which led to his and five others ejections: pic.twitter.com/utpVrFjeZH
— Morgan Weaver (@morganweaver_) February 14, 2026
Rick Pitino, who led Providence to the 1987 Final Four before building programs at Kentucky and Louisville, waded into the scrum trying to restrain his players. In his postgame press conference, he opened with a smile and said he wanted to get out of there before the fans came after the coaches.
Providence coach Kim English offered a nuanced take on Powell’s foul. He acknowledged there’s a time for hard fouls but said Powell had plenty of opportunity to get in front of Hopkins and play it straight up instead of making contact with his head.
When play resumed, the Red Storm seized control. Hopkins converted both free throws, and Oziyah Sellers turned a technical foul situation into a five-point possession with a free throw and a layup. Dylan Darling buried a three-pointer moments later, and St. John’s led 47-40. The Friars never threatened again.
Hopkins finished with nine points on 3-of-14 shooting but grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. His stat line was secondary to the larger narrative: he got the last laugh in a building that had been hostile from the opening tip.
Red Storm Extend Winning Streak to 11 Games
St. John’s improved to 20-5 overall and 13-1 in Big East play. The Red Storm have now won 11 straight and own a program-record 10-game road winning streak in conference games. Pitino ended his availability by joking that someone should get Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman on the phone.
The conference office confirmed it will review the game for potential additional penalties beyond the in-game ejections. Powell’s Flagrant 2 and fighting technical will automatically trigger at least a one-game suspension for Providence’s next contest. Whether the league hands down further discipline for the attempted punch on Mitchell or for players who left the bench remains to be seen.
This was the kind of scene that transcends the sport. The video spread across social media within minutes. College basketball doesn’t often produce moments this raw, this personal, this combustible. Hopkins returning to face his former team would have been a storyline regardless. Powell’s decision to take him out on a fast break turned it into something nobody will forget.