6 players ejected after massive brawl in college basketball rivalry game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The college basketball season is heating up, and each game carries significant weight for teams trying not only to improve their conference positioning, but also to strengthen their resumes heading into March.
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One team continuing to rise in the rankings is the No. 17 ranked St. John’s Red Storm under head coach Rick Pitino, who extended their winning streak to 11 games on Saturday with a 79-69 win over the Providence Friars.
However, the game didn’t end without some intense drama following a hard foul by Providence guard Duncan Powell on Red Storm forward — and former Providence star — Bryce Hopkins.
The foul sparked a massive brawl between both teams, forcing police officers and coaches to rush onto the floor to separate the players involved.
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In total, six players were ejected — four from St. John’s (Dillon Mitchell, Lefteris Liotopoulos, Ruben Prey, and Kelvin Odih) and two from Providence (Powell and Jaylin Sellers).
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Amid the controversy, it was Red Storm guard Dylan Darling who delivered the standout performance of the afternoon, leading all scorers with 23 points while adding eight rebounds.
St. John’s improved to 20-5 overall and moved into first place in the Big East, while Providence fell to 11-15, sitting in last place with roughly three weeks remaining before conference tournament play.
