No. 17 St. John's earns win at Providence marred by brawl, ejections

In a game that featured a bench-clearing altercation that led to six ejections, Dylan Darling scored 18 of his season-high 23 points in the second half to lead No. 17 St. John’s to a 79-69 Big East win over host Providence on Saturday afternoon.

With Providence clinging to a 40-39 edge with 14:25 to play, the Friars’ Duncan Powell clotheslined former Providence standout Bryce Hopkins as he went up for a breakaway layup. As Hopkins got up off the floor and stood up to Powell, players and coaches flew off both benches to try to restore order.

Following a lengthy delay for a video review and discussion, Providence’s Powell and Jaylin Sellers were ejected along with Dillon Mitchell, Kelvin Odih, Ruben Prey and Lefteris Liotopoulos for St. John’s – the latter three dismissed for leaving the Red Storm’s bench.

St. John’s (20-5, 13-1) sank three of the four ensuing free throws to start an 8-0 run and take a 47-40 lead as Providence (11-15, 4-11) never got closer than four points again. Darling finished that stretch with his first of back-to-back 3-pointers and stole an inbounds pass for a layup.

Darling sank three 3-pointers, went 8 of 9 from the foul line and added eight rebounds en route as the Red Storm extended their winning streak to 11 since a Jan. 3 home loss to Providence. Zuby Ejiofor scored 14 points, Oziyah Sellers added 11 and Hopkins had nine points and nine rebounds.

Stefan Vaaks had 20 points, Ryan Mela scored 14 and Jaylin Sellers added 13 for Providence, which has lost six of its last eight.

Before the brawl, Providence had been on an 18-5 run dating back to the final two minutes of the first half. A Jaylin Sellers 3-pointer highlighted the spurt and kicked off a back-and-forth stretch during which the game was tied two other times.

After the altercation, Providence got within 47-43 after Vaaks’ outlet feed led to a Jamier Jones 3-point play with 13:55 left, but Darling scored the game’s next five points and Ejiofor answered multiple Mela baskets midway through the half.

Oziyah Sellers’ midrange jumper with 5:52 left gave St. John’s a double-digit lead again as part of a 9-3 run that put the game out of reach.

The Red Storm stormed out of the gates, responding to Oswin Erhunmwunse’s opening layup with a 10-0 run. Two Providence turnovers extended the segment, with Hopkins scoring the first of back-to-back baskets off steals.

After Mela’s layup stopped the run, Ian Jackson sank a 3-pointer and turned another turnover into a dunk for a 15-4 St. John’s lead less than five minutes in. A 5-0 burst brought Providence within seven, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Darling and Joson Sanon gave the Storm a 13-point lead.

A Jones three-point play and a Vaaks trey bookended Providence’s longest first-half run, making it 25-20 with 7:09 to play. St. John’s answered a nearly six-minute field-goal drought with a 9-2 run including a Hopkins transition dunk, but five Jaylin Sellers points and a Powell triple ended the first half with the Red Storm clinging to a 34-29 edge.

–Field Level Media