NASSAU, Bahamas (November 24, 2025) – Fatou Diakite recorded a career high for the University of South Florida women's basketball in the first game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship against Minnesota on Monday. The Bulls (3-3) battled for 40 minutes and cut a double-digit deficit down to single digits, but fell to the Golden Gophers (5-1), 57-45.
 
Diakite went 6-for-7 from the field and added a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, which led to a career-high 16 points. She tied a career high with three blocked shots. She brought down a team-high seven rebounds and added one steal.  
As a team, the Bulls held the advantage in points in the paint, 22-20. The USF bench outscored the Minnesota bench 10-7 and produced more second-chance points 10-7.
 
Minnesota got off to a fast start and scored the game's first six points. The Bulls were unfazed, scored the following four points, and cut the lead to 6-4. The Golden Gophers closed out the first half with a 20-9 lead.
 
The teams continued to battle in the second quarter. The defense picked up in the second stanza, and Minnesota took a 30-15 lead into the break. Fatou Diakite and Carla Brito were tied for the team lead with four points each. Diakite and Stefanie Ingram each produced a blocked shot in the first half.
 
The Bulls outscored the Gophers in the second half, 30-27. South Florida cut a 19-point deficit down to nine, 47-38, with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter. The Bulls cut it down to eight, 53-45, with just under a minute left in regulation. In the second half, South Florida held Minnesota to 28.0 percent from the field. Offensively, the Bulls shot 40.0 percent from the field in the second half. The Bulls dished out 10 assists.
 
Notables:
• Fatou Diakite posted a career-high 16 points. She went a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. She tied a career-high three blocks.   
• The Bulls held a 22-20 advantage in points in the paint.
• The USF bench outscored the Minnesota bench 10-7.
 
Up Next
South Florida closes out the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship on Wednesday, November 25, at 6:30 p.m. on FloSports against Harvard or Alabama.
 
About South Florida Women's Basketball
Be sure to follow USF women's basketball on social media (X / Instagram / Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. 

Michele Woods-Baxter was named as USF women's basketball interim head coach. South Florida women's basketball has built a storied tradition over the past 25 seasons, highlighted by 19 postseason tournament appearances and 10 NCAA Tournament berths. The program has achieved 12 20-win seasons, two WNIT Final Four appearances, and captured the 2008-09 WNIT championship.
 
– #GoBulls –