Youngstown, Ohio — Youngstown State head women's basketball coach Melissa Jackson is excited to announce that two of the top seniors in Ohio will continue their basketball and academic careers at YSU.

Evelyn McKnight, a 5-foot-10 point guard from Copley, Ohio, and Kaitlyn Turinsky, a 6-foot-3 forward from Marblehead, Ohio, have signed a grant-in-aid during the November signing period to join the Penguins beginning with the 2026-27 season.

"We are thrilled to officially welcome Evelyn and Kaitlyn into our Penguin family! Both are highly competitive, proven winners, and great fits for our style of play," Jackson said. "We are very excited to keep two of Ohio's best players in the state."

McKnight helped lead Copley High School to the state semifinals as a sophomore point guard, and the Indians have won two Suburban League championships during her career. Individually, McKnight was a third-team All-Ohio selection  at the Division III level and a first team all-district selection in 2025 while averaging 15.4 points per game. She enters her senior season with career totals of 705 points, 353 assists, 320 rebounds and 223 steals.

"I knew very early on in Evelyn's basketball career that I wanted to coach her. This signing is a special one," Jackson said. "Evelyn will bring great size, length and athleticism to our point guard position. We love her ability to score the ball at all three levels. Her mid-range game is elite."

Academically, McKnight is an honor roll student who has won a scholar-athlete award, and she intends to major in business or marketing at Youngstown State.

Turinsky helped lead Bellevue High School to its first-ever state championship in 2025 as the Lady Red went 28-1 and won their final 16 games. Her defensive presence helped Bellevue hold five of its seven opponents in the 2025 state tournament to 40 points or fewer, and she was named the MVP of the state title game. She averaged 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.9 blocks and 2.5 steals per game as a junior while shooting 55% from the field. She already owns the school record with 334 career blocks.

"Kaitlyn is a tremendously versatile post player," Jackson said. "She can score on the low block, but also handle the ball on the perimeter. Kaitlyn is long and an elite rim protector. We are very excited about her skill set and how she will fit in our system."

Turinsky is a member of the National Honor Society and ranks in the top 10% of her class. She intends to major in dental hygiene at YSU.