Fatou Diakite had her most productive scoring game yet for USF on Sunday, finishing with a career-high 19 points as the Bulls fell 82-63 to Rhode Island in Nashville.

The senior forward made seven of her eight shots from the field in the November 8 game at the Curb Event Center. Her previous scoring high was 17 points against Temple in January, according to USF Athletics’ game recap.

Diakite’s performance included a three-pointer, four made free throws and three rebounds in 31 minutes, the official box score shows.

From Abidjan to the Bulls

USF lists Diakite as a 6-foot-3 forward from Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Before joining the Bulls, she played at Charlotte and attended Niagara Prep in Ontario, Canada.

Her official player biography also records experience with the Basketball Africa League Select U23 team at the 2023 GLOBL JAM tournament in Toronto.

Sunday’s game gave Tampa Bay fans another reason to follow her season, even as the Bulls took their first loss.

USF trailed by two at halftime, and the game remained tied 42-42 midway through the third quarter. Rhode Island then finished the period on a 20-7 run and stayed ahead.

Stefanie Ingram and Kendall Puryear each scored 12 points for USF. Ingram also recorded a game-high seven assists.

The Bulls left the showcase with a 2-1 record. Their next scheduled game is at Florida on Thursday, November 12, at 6 p.m. Eastern, with streaming on SEC Network+, according to USF.

Follow the Bulls: schedule and tickets

USF’s next three scheduled games are:

Date	Opponent	Location	Time (Eastern)
Thursday, November 12, 2026	Florida	O’Connell Center, Gainesville	6 p.m.
Sunday, November 15, 2026	FIU	Yuengling Center, Tampa	3 p.m.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026	Binghamton	Yuengling Center, Tampa	7 p.m.

Fans can view the full 2026-27 USF women’s basketball schedule and buy tickets to USF women’s basketball home games through the university’s official ticket page. Check the schedule for updates before heading to a game.

Reporting sources: USF Athletics’ recap by Micah Banks, official box score, player biography, 2026-27 schedule and official women’s basketball ticket page. This report is based on published records; WHH did not conduct a player interview.

Image credit: Source photo, USF Athletics. Adapted for WHH Sports with an AI-assisted layout.

Siri Alexander
Published by WHH Media Network