Seven players ejected in Friars' 79-69 loss to No. 17 St. John's

Former Friars star Bryce Hopkins was in the middle of a brawl that led to multiple ejections in the heated matchup.

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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In a heated matchup between Providence and No. 17 St. John's, a total of seven players were ejected after a brawl broke out following a hard foul on former Friars star Bryce Hopkins, who finished with 9 points and 8 rebounds in his first game back in Providence since transferring. St. John's defeated Providence 79-69 for their 11th straight win.

Why it matters

The ejections and brawl overshadowed what was an important Big East conference matchup between the two teams. Providence has struggled this season, sitting at just 4-11 in conference play, while St. John's has been one of the surprise teams in the country with their 11-game winning streak.

The details

With Providence leading 40-39 and 14:25 left in the game, former Friars star Bryce Hopkins was taken down by a hard foul. This led to a scuffle between the two teams, resulting in the ejection of Providence forward Duncan Powel for a flagrant 2 foul, as well as five other players from both teams.

  • The incident occurred with 14:25 left in the second half, with Providence leading 40-39.
  • Providence dropped to 4-11 in Big East conference play with the 79-69 loss.

The players

Dylan Darling

The St. John's player who finished with a game-high 23 points to lead his team to their 11th straight victory.

Bryce Hopkins

The former Providence star who finished with 9 points and 8 rebounds in his first game back in Providence since transferring, and was at the center of the brawl that led to multiple ejections.

Duncan Powel

The Providence forward who was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul that sparked the brawl.

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What they’re saying

“The scrum happened at I thought a bad time for us. I thought it was a manageable, you know, play in transition, flagrant and then everything else ensued and then, you know, ran out of guys. They're a great defensive team and a tough outcome.”

— Kim English, Providence head coach (WPRI)

What’s next

Providence will look to bounce back when they visit DePaul next Saturday at 8 p.m.

The takeaway

The heated matchup between Providence and St. John's boiled over, with a total of seven players ejected after a brawl broke out following a hard foul on former Friars star Bryce Hopkins. The ejections overshadowed what was an important Big East conference game, with St. John's extending their winning streak to 11 games and Providence falling to just 4-11 in conference play.