St. John's Avenges Loss to Providence in Heated Matchup

Brawl erupts after hard foul, but Red Storm rallies to defeat Friars

Published on Feb. 15, 2026

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In a heated matchup between St. John's and Providence, a bench-clearing brawl erupted after a hard foul by Providence's Duncan Powell on St. John's Bryce Hopkins. Despite losing several players to ejections, St. John's rallied behind a personal 8-0 run by Dylan Darling to take the lead and hold on for a 79-69 victory, avenging their lone Big East loss earlier in the season.

Why it matters

The rivalry between St. John's and Providence is a long-standing one, and this game carried extra significance as the Red Storm looked to avenge their only conference loss of the season. The brawl and resulting ejections also raised questions about sportsmanship and player conduct in the heated atmosphere of a heated Big East matchup.

The details

After Providence's Duncan Powell committed a hard foul on a fast-break layup attempt by St. John's' Bryce Hopkins, a bench-clearing brawl erupted, resulting in the ejection of six players total - four from St. John's and two from Providence. When play resumed, St. John's guard Dylan Darling sparked an 8-0 run to put the Red Storm ahead for good, as they held on for the 79-69 victory.

  • The brawl occurred early in the second half, with 14:25 remaining in regulation.

The players

Bryce Hopkins

A fifth-year senior forward for St. John's, who was the target of the hard foul that sparked the brawl.

Dylan Darling

A guard for St. John's who scored 23 points, including an 8-0 run that put the Red Storm ahead for good after the brawl.

Duncan Powell

A forward for Providence who committed the hard foul on Bryce Hopkins that sparked the brawl.

Rick Pitino

The head coach of St. John's, who defended his team's actions in the brawl, saying they were protecting their player.

Zuby Ejiofor

A player for St. John's who spoke about the team's composure and focus on their championship aspirations despite the distractions.

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What they’re saying

“We didn't initiate anything. We talk toughness as not turning the ball over, creating steals, getting offensive rebounds. That's what we believe toughness is, and that's all we talked about throughout the entire time.”

— Rick Pitino, Head Coach, St. John's (blogspot.com)

“We're out three of our players and Dylan does what Dylan's been pretty much doing for a big stretch now. This is always a tough, tough place to play in, especially when you get a win, so we did exactly what we came here to do.”

— Zuby Ejiofor, Player, St. John's (blogspot.com)

“Somebody needed to step up and I just tried to bring energy. We were fired up from the exchange, but I just tried to bring energy. We knew we needed to focus on every small detail to win the game.”

— Dylan Darling, Player, St. John's (blogspot.com)

What’s next

The Big East is presently reviewing the incident to determine any additional penalties, per a statement issued by the conference.

The takeaway

This heated matchup between St. John's and Providence highlighted the intensity and passion of Big East basketball, but also raised concerns about sportsmanship and player conduct. Despite the distractions, St. John's remained focused and rallied to secure an important road victory, further cementing their status as a top contender in the conference.