PROVIDENCE, R.I. – St. John’s secured a 79-69 victory over Providence on Saturday, but the game will be remembered for a second-half brawl that resulted in the ejection of seven players and a lengthy delay at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. The incident, sparked by a hard foul, overshadowed a Red Storm performance that improved their Big East record to 13-1 and their overall mark to 20-5.
The catalyst for the chaos was a foul committed by Providence forward Duncan Powell on St. John’s forward Bryce Hopkins. Hopkins, a former Friar who transferred to St. John’s, immediately confronted Powell, escalating the situation beyond a typical hard foul response. Both benches quickly emptied, leading to a full-scale melee.
“I think you saw it as well as me, but I didn’t have the film in front of me to look at everybody,” St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino said during the postgame press conference. He added, with a touch of wry humor, “You’re not supposed to come off the bench (as a coach), but you can’t let your players get beat up.” Pitino himself entered the fray briefly, attempting to pull his players away from the escalating conflict.
Officials spent 19 minutes reviewing footage and assessing penalties. Powell and Providence guard Jaylin Sellers were ejected for Providence. St. John’s suffered even greater personnel losses, with Dillon Mitchell, Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey, and Sadiku Ibine Ayo all receiving ejections. A subsequent incident later in the second half saw Providence’s Jamier Jones appear to shove St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor during a layup attempt, further highlighting the intensity of the contest.
The game’s physicality and the crowd’s reaction also drew comment from Pitino. “the crowd, I think, lost objectivity of what they’re here for,” he stated. “If they’re just here to poke fun at Bryce Hopkins and not get a win for the Friars, that’s not the Friars I remember in ’87.” Pitino coached at Providence from 1985-1987.
Despite the ejections and the disruption, St. John’s managed to maintain control of the game, securing the win. Hopkins, despite being at the center of the initial altercation, remained in the game and contributed to the Red Storm’s offense. Notably, no foul was assessed against him for his immediate reaction to Powell’s foul.
The victory marks St. John’s 11th consecutive win and solidifies their position as a top contender in the Big East. The Red Storm will now prepare for a challenging road game against Marquette on Wednesday. Providence, reeling from the loss and the fallout from the brawl, will travel to DePaul next Saturday.
The long-term consequences of the incident remain to be seen. It is currently unclear whether Pitino intends to impose any additional disciplinary measures on his players. The league is likely to review the game footage and potentially issue further sanctions. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the intense emotions and competitive fire that can boil over in college basketball, and the responsibility of players and coaches to maintain control in the face of adversity.
