Big East suspends Providence's Powell 2 games, giving him a 3-game penalty from fight-filled game

NEW YORK (AP) — Providence forward Duncan Powell was suspended two additional games by the Big East on Sunday, meaning he will miss three games for his flagrant foul that sparked a fight in a game against St. John's.

Powell already faced an automatic one-game ban for fighting by NCAA rules, but the conference tacked on an additional penalty stemming from the 17th-ranked Red Storm's 79-69 victory Saturday that featured seven ejections.

It started when Powell flagrantly fouled Bryce Hopkins — who played three seasons in Providence — from behind as he went up for a fast-break layup. Powell was automatically ejected for the flagrant 2 foul.

The Big East said that officials determined that Powell “engaged in additional combative actions that constituted a fighting act subsequent to the flagrant foul.”

He will sit out next Saturday at DePaul, followed by a Feb. 24 home game against Xavier and a game at Creighton on Feb. 28.

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