St. John’s University Red Storm forward/guard Bryce Hopkins (23) shoots during the first half of the game against the Providence College Friars at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Natalie Reid-Imagn Images

Police help break up fight between Providence and St. John's

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 9:07 AM ET

A huge fight between the Providence Friars and St. John’s Red Storm required police intervention on Saturday.

Tensions came to a head during the second half of Saturday’s game at Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island. Providence’s Duncan Powell committed a hard foul on St. John’s standout Bryce Hopkins, a former Providence player.

Hopkins took offense, and things escalated quickly from there. A brawl ensued, with Powell appearing to throw at least one punch.

The situation was so far out of control that police helped to break things up.

pic.twitter.com/fVvczbKNAz
— fieldof72 (@Field_of_72) February 14, 2026

Even fans were sniping at each other verbally, and police actually protected the referees at the scorer’s table while the incident was being reviewed.

TENSIONS HIGH in St. John’s–Providence.

An aggressive ugly foul sparked it, things escalated. Ejections, fights, Providence student section chirping the the St. John’s family section.

Security/benches stepped in quickly to restore order. Wild scene.
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— Vince Wolfram (@vincewolfram15) February 14, 2026

Six players were ultimately ejected, with four from St. John’s and two from Providence. Powell received a huge ovation from the crowd as he was sent to the locker room.

Providence fans chant Duncan Powell’s name for getting tossed after a dirty foul on former Friar Bryce Hopkinspic.twitter.com/FQUUZW2tuQ
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 14, 2026

The consensus was that Powell’s foul was not even close to a basketball play and was definitely on the dirty side. That hardly mattered to fans, who have been on Hopkins ever since he left Providence to play for the Red Storm.

This was one of the wilder scenes of the college basketball season. It is not the first fight we’ve seen in the last week or so, and tensions seem high in the basketball world for whatever reason.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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