A college basketball game between old Big East rivals turned ugly on Saturday afternoon in Providence after a dunk attempt sparked a chaotic scene.
It happened early in the second half as No. 17 St. John’s took aim at Providence on the road. With 14:25 left in the 2nd half and the Friars holding on to a 40-39 lead with upset aspirations in the fold, former Providence forward Bryce Hopkins took a lead pass and soared to the basket for an attempted dunk.
But Friars forward Duncan Powell had other ideas about a former Providence player creating some unwanted momentum with a dunk that would’ve put the Red Storm back in the lead. So, Powell prevented the dunk with a brutal takedown of Hopkins that some would probably classify as dirty.
College basketball analyst Jeff Goodman certainly did, writing on his social media account of the play: “Duncan Powell with a dirty play on former Providence Friar Bryce Hopkins.”
But that was hardly it, as Goodman also pointed out about the stunning scene, writing: “Then Powell tries to throw a haymaker.”
Naturally, Goodman posted the crazy turn of events, as a Big East battle in mid-February literally turned into a battle that didn’t involve basketball, unfortunately.
While Hopkins is a former Providence player, he didn’t play with Powell there, with this season being Powell’s first as a Friar. Had they been ex-teammates at Providence, it would’ve made Saturday’s scene even juicier than it already was.
Still, it was all a stunner, but Hopkins got the last laugh. After order was restored in Providence, Hopkins helped St. John’s gather itself and avoid that upset with a 79-69 victory that improved the Red Storm to 20-5 overall and 13-1 in the Big East. Meanwhile, the Friars’ season-long misery continued, as they fell to 11-15 overall and 4-11 in conference.
Hopkins still managed to play 35 minutes. He didn’t shoot well, going 3 for 14 from the field, but he chipped in 9 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals in the gritty (and sometimes ugly) victory.
Meanwhile, Powell was largely a non-factor off the bench on Saturday before the infamous play, posting 3 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes. His afternoon ended early, as he was ejected after receiving a Flagrant-2 foul. Powell will also be suspended for Providence’s next game against DePaul because he was ejected for fighting.
For anyone who was at the game or watching the national TV showdown on TNT, it’s doubtful they’ll remember anything that Powell did other than the obvious chaotic scene that he started.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
