EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsProvidence's Duncan Powell was suspended three games for "combative actions" on Sunday after he was one of six players ejected from Saturday's 79-69 loss to No. 17 St. John's.Powell, whose hard foul on St. John's guard Bryce Hopkins ignited the fracas, was suspended two games by the Big East Conference on top of an automatic one-game suspension mandated by NCAA rules for fighting."After the on-court video review, game officials determined that Powell engaged in additional combative actions that constituted a fighting act subsequent to the flagrant foul," the statement from the Big East said Sunday.Powell will miss Saturday's game at DePaul as well as home games vs. Xavier (Feb. 24) and Creighton (Feb. 28).Providence, which had trailed by as many 13 points in the first half, rallied in the second to take a series of one-point leads and had a 40-39 edge with 14:25 left when Hopkins -- who played three seasons in Providence -- went up for a fast-break layup and was raked across the head and face by Powell's arm, taking him to the ground.Hopkins got up and moved toward Powell but was held back and guided away by his former teammate, Friars forward Oswin Erhunmwunse. Others in the game got involved and the players from the nearby St. John's bench couldn't be held back any longer as pushing and shoving continued while coaches, referees and security tried to break it up.The game was stopped for nearly 20 minutes while the referees sorted out the punishments. In addition to Powell, Providence's Jaylin Sellers and St. John's Dillon Mitchell, Ruben Prey, Sadiku Ibine Ayo and Kelvin Odih were also ejected.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
