These women’s basketball players posted big-time performances and were named to the NCAA.com starting five this week.

Dani Carnegie, Georgia Tech

For the third straight week, and fourth time overall this season, Georgia Tech freshman guard Dani Carnegie was voted Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week, after recording her fourth 20-plus point game in Tech’s lone outing this week.
 
Carnegie scored 24 points and added five rebounds and two steals in Georgia Tech’s 100-61 home win over Pittsburgh on Sunday. It marked her second straight game with 20-plus points, and third in the last four games. Overall, Carnegie has logged 12 double-figure scoring games with a personal-high against the Panthers. Carnegie had four three-pointers to match her season-best, which she has done six times this season. The freshman has hit multiple three-pointers in 11 games to highlight her impressive freshman debut.
 
Carnegie leads Georgia Tech offensively on the year, averaging 15.1 points per game. She also leads the Yellow Jackets in three-point field goals made (39) and three-point field goal percentage (39.4). She ranks fourth in both statistical categories in the ACC. Carnegie continues to lead all freshmen in scoring in the league and ranks 12th nationally among the freshmen class.
 
With Georgia Tech’s win against Pittsburgh, the Yellow Jackets moved to 14-0 on the season and 2-0 in conference play. Tech remained steady at No. 13 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, also released on Monday.
 
The Yellow Jackets return to action on Jan. 2, welcoming Syracuse to McCamish Pavilion.

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Delanie Crawford, Tulsa

Tulsa’s Delanie Crawford put on a brilliant performance in the Golden Hurricane’s 93-84 home win over East Carolina on opening day of the American Athletic Conference season, scoring a career-high 36 points.
 
The senior guard connected on 14-of-20 shots from the field, including a 3-for-7 tally from 3-point range, and a perfect 5-for-5 mark from the free-throw line. She collected a team-high seven rebounds and added four steals and two assists for a record-setting day in the Donald W. Reynolds Center.
 
The 36 points by Crawford ranks as the third-highest total scored by a Tulsa player in program history, just four points shy of the single-game record 40 by Cheryle Meppelink (vs. John Brown, Jan. 10, 1987). The 36 points also marks the second-most scored in a conference game for Tulsa. In addition, Crawford had 26 first-half points, tying Kendrian Elliott’s (2016-20) Reynolds Center record for most points scored in a half. Elliott had 26 in the second half against Arkansas State in 2019. Crawford also finished with 14 made field goals, the second-best single-game effort in Tulsa history. It ties the record for the most recorded in a conference game for the Hurricane.
 
The Hurricane, 7-6 overall, will spend New Year’s Day in Denton, Texas, where they’ll face North Texas.

Harsimran Kaur, Rhode Island

Senior Harsimran “Honey” Kaur shot lights out in the Atlantic 10 Conference opener for Rhode Island, pouring in a career-best 27 points leading the Rams to an 83-63 win over Saint Louis on Dec. 29.
 
The center connected on 10-of-16 shots from the floor and was  5-of-7 from the 3-point line, with the five threes establishing a new career-high. Kaur added 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season, and second in as many games.
 
Named A-10 Player of the Week, Kaur leads the Rams this season in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game over the first 14 games.
 
The Rams, 6-8 overall, are back in action on Jan. 2 at St. Bonaventure.
 
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Olivia Miles, Notre Dame

Notre Dame point guard Olivia Miles produced a historic performance on Sunday against Virginia with an 11-point, 10-rebound, 14-assist triple-double as the third-ranked Fighting Irish rolled to a 95-54 victory over the Hoos. The 14 assists tied a career-high for Miles.
 
The 5-10 junior achieved her third triple-double of the season and sixth of her career. Miles is now tied with Maryland great Alyssa Thomas for most career triple-doubles in ACC history, and she is the first ever ACC player to notch back-to-back triple-doubles. Miles had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists against Loyola Maryland on Dec. 22. Additionally, Miles joins Jackie Young as the only Notre Dame player to post a triple-double in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Young also did it against Virginia.
 
But the triple-double accolades weren’t the only lines added to the All-American’s resume last weekend. When Miles grabbed rebound No. 9 on Sunday, she reached 500 in her career. She is now one of just three players in Notre Dame women’s basketball history to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists, joining Skylar Diggins and Lindsay Allen.
 
On the season, Miles is leading the ACC with 7.2 assists per game. She is also the NCAA’s active leader in career assists per game at 6.8.
 
Miles and the Irish, 11-2 overall and 2-0 in ACC play, will return to action on Sunday at No. 17 North Carolina.
 
Maddy Skorupski, Oakland

Oakland improved to 3-0 in Horizon League play as junior guard Maddy Skorupski finished with a career-high 29 points (11-of-20 field goals), five steals and four assists in an 86-85 overtime win over Northern Kentucky on Dec. 29.
 
Skorupski had given Oakland a two-point lead with 14 seconds remaining in regulation only to see Northern Kentucky tie the game and send it to overtime. In overtime, the Golden Grizzlies would put the game away, as Skorupski’s and-one layup put Oakland ahead 82-75 with 34 seconds left, giving them enough to secure an eventual one-point win, behind a team-effort, going 6-8 (.750) from the field in overtime.
 
Through 12 games this season, Skorupski is averaging a team-best 17.2 points per game, while shooting 41.9 percent from the floor.
 
Oakland, 5-7 overall, will look to stay perfect in conference play when they host Cleveland State on Jan. 3.

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Police are investigating after a Georgia state judge was found dead in a courtroom on Tuesday.

The Effingham County Sheriff’s deputies said in a release that they found State Court Judge Stephen Yekel, 74, on Tuesday morning. 

He appears to have died by suicide, with a self-inflicted gunshot, the sheriff’s office said.

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His death is being investigated by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation will perform the autopsy.

Authorities said Yekel died sometime late Monday night or early Tuesday morning.

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Yekel, who was appointed to the bench two years ago by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, lost his election bid earlier this year. 

His term was scheduled to end Dec. 31, 2024.

Judge Stephen Yekel, 74, was found dead, with suspected self-inflicted gunshot wounds, at the Effingham County Courthouse in Springfield, Georgia. (Google Maps)

In a statement, the Effingham County Board of Commissioners said that they were “deeply saddened” by Yekel’s death.

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“The Effingham County Board of Commissioners and staff are deeply saddened by the tragic death of Judge Steve Yekel at the Effingham County Courthouse today, and we offer our condolences to his family and loved ones,” they said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Effingham County Board of Commissioners for comment.

Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Duncan Powell and Javian McCollum each set a season-high with 21 points and they combined for five of Georgia Tech’s eight 3-pointers in an 86-75 victory over Notre Dame on Tuesday.

Georgia Tech shot 61% from the field in the first half to build a 43-24 lead as Notre Dame was just 9 of 32 (28%). The Fighting Irish’s 24 first-half points are tied for the fewest allowed by Georgia Tech in an opening period this season.

Notre Dame had runs of 11-0 and 11-3 in the second half and got as close as 69-66 with 5:53 remaining. But the Irish would not get closer.

Georgia Tech won for just the third time in the last 13 meetings with Notre Dame — a stretch that included losing all three matchups last season.

Lance Terry added 14 points, Naithan George had 11 and Baye Ndongo scored 10 for Georgia Tech (7-7, 1-2 ACC). The Yellow Jackets had a 44-15 advantage in bench points.

Tae Davis led Notre Dame (7-6, 1-1) with 27 points and seven rebounds. Matt Allocco had 15 points and seven assists and Braeden Shrewsberry scored 12 on four 3-pointers.

Notre Dame’s only lead was at 12-11 early in the first half.

Georgia Tech closes a five-game homestand on Saturday against Boston College. Notre Dame hosts North Carolina on Saturday.

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