NIGERIA 60 - SENEGAL 55
University of Louisville women's basketball student-athlete Yacine Diop's FIBA women's Afro-basketball experience came to an end yesterday when the Senegal squad dropped a close one in the finals against Nigeria 60-55.
Diop started in the final game against Nigeria but saw just 10 minutes of action. She was 0-2 from the floor and had a rebound and assist. Senegal (4-1) trailed early 14-10, was behind 32-24 at the half and 48-37 going into the fourth quarter before making a late rally to tie the contest at 54-54 with 1:50 to play.
Former UK star Evelyn Akhator started for the victorious Nigeria squad and led them with 14 points. She also had nine rebounds in 33 minutes.
Akhator |
In her five games, Diop went 15-38 from the floor (39%), 4-12 from three-point range and had 21 rebounds...plus eight steals.
Diop is expected to play a big role for the Cards in the upcoming 2019-20 season. The transfer from Pittsburgh played in four games last season for the Cards before tearing her left knee anterior cruciate in the first minute of a 58-56 win over Arizona in the Southpoint Shootout on Nov 23rd, 2018. Diop tried to return to the floor after leaving the game but was unable to go.
She started two games in 2018-19 and saw 65 minutes of court time, scoring 25 points and grabbing 17 rebounds before going to the sidelines and subsequently receiving a medical redshirt....making her eligible for this year.
Her career at Pittsburgh was pretty spectacular...she's 18th on the Pitt All-time scoring list (1093 points) and was their leading scorer her redshirt junior year. She had 26 points against the Cards that season on Jan. 18, 2017
DETAILS ON DIOP
Rated the No. 54 overall prospect and the No. 6 forward by prospectnation.com ...Rated the No. 83 overall prospect by HoopGurlz ... Rated No. 69 by BlueStar Basketball ... A standout at nearby Seton-La Salle, Diop Averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds as a senior and led her team to Class AA WPIAL and State title ... Saved one of her best performances for the state title game as she posted 10 points, 23 rebounds and six blocks vs. Neumann-Goretti to help the Rebels win a PIAA Class AA Title ... Named to the Fabulous 5 by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ... Played her sophomore year at Oak Hill Academy before coming to Seton-LaSalle for her junior and senior year ... Named MVP of African Cup tournament in 2013 as a member of the Under-18 Senegalese National Team after leading the them to the African Cup championship ... Fluent in English, French and Wolof - a regional Senegalese language.
For all your Cardinal women's sports news, check us out daily! Tomorrow, I'll report on the UofL Fall Sports Media Day I'm attending later this morning. Volleyball, Field Hockey and Cross Country head coaches plus student-athletes will attend and answer questions.
paulie
xxxxx
I hope that Diop can rediscover those game skills she had at Pittsburgh.
ReplyDeleteCurtis "Can they stop Diop?" Franklin