Tempers Flare, Six Players Ejected in St. John's 79-69 Win Over Providence

PROVIDENCE, R. I. — A hard foul late in the second half on Feb. 14, 2026 (ET) ignited a benches-clearing brawl that produced six ejections and halted play for nearly 20 minutes, but it did not prevent No. 17 St. John's from closing out a 79-69 road victory over Providence.

Hard foul on Hopkins sets off chaos

The sequence began with a fast-break layup attempt by Bryce Hopkins, who played three seasons at Providence before transferring. While Hopkins rose for the finish, Providence forward Duncan Powell delivered a hard arm-to-head challenge that sent Hopkins to the floor and immediately escalated tensions. Hopkins rose and moved toward Powell but was restrained by a former teammate. From there, pushing and shoving spilled toward the St. John's bench as multiple players converged.

St. John's coach Rick Pitino was in the middle of the commotion trying to hold his players back. Coaches, officials and arena security worked to separate participants while the crowd chanted "Duncan Powell!" The stoppage stretched for about 20 minutes as referees and staff sorted the incident and assessed penalties.

Ejections, penalties and the game effect

Officials ultimately ejected six players: two from Providence and four from St. John's. Providence lost Powell and guard Jaylin Sellers; St. John's had Dillon Mitchell, Ruben Prey, Sadiku Ibine Ayo and Kelvin Odih tossed. One additional Providence player was removed later in the game following another hard foul. The expulsions altered rotations and momentum at a critical juncture—by the time Providence had possession again the Friars' one-point lead had evaporated and St. John's was in control.

Prior to the incident, St. John's had led by as many as 13 in the first half. Providence rallied in the second, briefly taking a 40-39 lead with 14: 25 remaining before the sequence that culminated in the hard foul on Hopkins. The stoppage and ejections visibly affected both teams; players on each side warmed up at their baskets while officials communicated rulings to the coaches and security maintained order on the floor.

Coaches and players respond

Pitino acknowledged the rule that players must remain on the bench but defended his actions in the heat of the moment. "You're not supposed to come off the bench, but you can't let your players get beat up, " he said, adding that the modern game demands toughness inside the lines rather than off them.

Providence coach Kim English described the original contact as a hard basketball foul, emphasizing the difference between a clean, hard play and one that crosses a line. "There's a time to foul hard. There's a time to foul a poor free throw shooter hard, " he said, noting opportunities to play the ball straight up.

St. John's forward Zuby Ejiofor framed the episode in competitive terms, saying the team "responded in the best way possible" and that they had anticipated a charged atmosphere for Hopkins' return to his former home court. The win extended St. John's streak to 11 games.

The melee will likely prompt further review by the league and could result in additional discipline beyond the in-game ejections. For now, St. John's leaves Providence with a weekend road victory but also with a fresh reminder of how quickly tempers can change the tenor of a heated rivalry game.