Providence’s Duncan Powell suspended three games after Feb. 14 on‑court altercation
The Big East has suspended Providence College guard Duncan Powell for three games following an on‑court fight that broke out during the Feb. 14 matchup with St. John’s. Powell was ejected in the second half for a flagrant foul and will miss the Friars’ next three scheduled conference games.
What unfolded in the game
The incident occurred late in the second half of the Feb. 14 contest, when Powell came across the lane and struck an opposing player with a two‑handed foul after a transition play. The sequence ignited a bench‑clearing melee that led to six player ejections. Powell and teammate Jaylin Sellers were among those tossed, removing a leading scorer and a rotation player from Providence’s lineup for the remainder of the night.
The altercation shifted momentum instantly. The opposing team converted the run that followed and pushed the Friars into a hole they could not climb out of, finishing the game with a 79‑69 victory. Officials assessed the ejection as a flagrant foul in the second half, a ruling that ultimately factored into the conference’s disciplinary decision.
Disciplinary action and immediate impact
The Big East has levied a three‑game suspension for Powell. He will be sidelined for the Feb. 21 game at DePaul (ET), the Feb. 24 home game versus Xavier (ET) and the Feb. 28 trip to Creighton (ET). The punishment removes one of Providence’s primary offensive options from three important late‑season conference matchups.
The Friars entered the incident with a sub-. 500 overall record and a struggling conference ledger, making every available roster spot and scoring option more consequential as the regular season winds down. Missing Powell — who was leading the team in scoring at the moment of his ejection — forces coach Kim English to adjust rotations and rely more heavily on bench contributors and remaining starters during a pivotal stretch of Big East play.
Complicating matters for Providence are existing injuries: the team has been without a key guard dealing with a hamstring issue and another player has been limited by a foot problem. Those absences already stretched the Friars’ depth chart, and Powell’s suspension further thins available options for the coaching staff.
Outlook for Providence and the conference
The disciplinary move underscores the conference’s low tolerance for on‑court altercations that threaten player safety and game integrity. The three‑game length is significant: it covers three regular conference opponents that will influence Providence’s final seeding and postseason prospects.
For the Friars, the coming week will be a test of depth and discipline. The coaching staff must recalibrate offensive schemes to offset the scoring void and shore up defensive assignments in Powell’s absence. How quickly Providence responds will be critical; a strong showing in the next three games could blunt the suspension’s negative effect, while further losses would deepen the team’s climb back toward respectability in the league standings.
Beyond immediate tactical adjustments, the episode raises questions about temperament and situational control heading into the season’s final weeks. Teams across the conference are fighting for positioning, and emotions are running high — how programs manage those tensions will matter as clubs jostle for NCAA tournament resumes and conference seeding.
At this stage there has been no announcement of an appeal, and the suspension will keep Powell off the floor for the specified Feb. dates (ET). Providence now faces the task of steadying a roster that had already been challenged by injury while trying to keep its season goals intact.
