Jaguars sink Susquehannock in PIAA playoffs

Kaylee DeAngelo and Maggie Spell combined for 33 points in TJ’s 55-37 victory.

In PIAA basketball playoff matchups where neither squad know each other that well, the outcome often depends on who can control tempo.

On Saturday afternoon, host Thomas Jefferson wanted to run while Susquehannock, the sixth seed out of District 3, needed to slow things down.

Both teams were held under 25 points at halftime, but the Jaguars found their offensive rhythm with a with a 19-7 margin in the third quarter and never looked back, registering a 55-37 victory in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A playoffs.

“We knew Susquehannock played in a lot of low-scoring games,” TJ coach Matt Gould said. “They win in low-scoring games and they lose in low-scoring games. We could not get frustrated or have any mental lapses. We were a little slow in the first half, but I thought we upticked the pressure in the middle of the second quarter and then it took a larger effect in the third quarter.”

TJ had three players in double figures, as Kaylee DeAngelo tallied 10 of her team-high 17 points in the second half.

“We had to work on our cuts and move quicker without the basketball on offense,” DeAngelo said. “They wanted to slow it down, but we had to be patient on both ends today. Our passing was spot on and I thought we just flipped the switch in the second half.”

Maggie Spell had a balanced game with 16 points, while Allie Wilson was a force in the paint with 10 points and six rebounds.

Riley McCabe and Emma Altavilla only combined for six points, but both were effective on the defensive end and on the glass. McCabe (8) and Altavilla (6) compiled 14 rebounds.

The last win in the state postseason for the Jaguars (22-5) was in 2019.

The victory also sets up a fourth matchup with Peters Township, which beat Conrad Weiser, 58-35, in the second round. That game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at Canon-McMillan.

“We are glad it’s Peters,” DeAngelo said. “We’ve got nothing to lose, and the fourth time might be the charm for us.”

TJ lost to Peters, 52-39, on Dec. 12 and then suffered a 58-49 setback Feb. 3. The squads matched up again in the WPIAL semifinals, where the Indians won, 46-43.

“As a coach, I tell them we have no pressure on us and we should play that game against Peters loose,” Gould said. “Now that being said, I think our girls think a lot of themselves and they want to get that win over Peters. So there is that self-pressure.

“Facing Peters for the fourth time will be tough. There is a reason why they are the best team in the state.”

Spell and DeAngelo combined for all 10 points for TJ in the opening quarter, which ended with the home team holding a 10-9 advantage.

With both teams struggling to find offensive consistency, the Warriors (16-10) got a quick spark right out of the gate in the second stanza with five straight points.

Trailing 14-10, the Jaguars regrouped with a trey from Spell and an interior hoop by Wilson.

“Allie has carved out a pretty consistent role,” Gould said. “She is extremely tough. This team has so many good players and good shooters. Allie is a good shooter and can knock down some threes, but on this team, she is perfectly fine with working on the inside and fighting for points.”

Susquehannock responded with a trey from Elena Snyder to go up 17-15 before TJ started to spread out the offense and get more easy looks. The home team ended the second quarter with a 7-1 spree, as DeAngelo nailed a three-pointer to start the run.

“They are a very patient team and we knew they wanted their possessions to be long,” DeAngelo said. “We could not relax on defense and give up anything cheap. The more stops we got on defense kind of jump started our offense late in the second quarter.”

Leading 22-18 at halftime, the Jaguars took firm control in the opening stages as the third quarter with an 11-1 spree. The Warriors’ first three possessions of the second half ended with turnovers, while Spell had six of the 11 points for the Jaguars.

“They are a well-coached team,” Gould said. “They sit in the gaps and were able to rub off our players after screens to still be in a good defensive posture. We could not force things on offense and had to let the game come to us. We got them tired and then took over in the second half.”

Snyder and Annie Laubach connected on shots from beyond the arc for the visitors in the next couple of minutes to make things tight again at 33-25. For the game, Snyder (18) and Laubach (14) scored all but five points for the Warriors.

After TJ extended its advantage to 41-25 at the end of three, Susquehannock countered with the first six points for the fourth to make it 41-31.

A three by DeAngelo got the momentum back for the home team and then after a bucket by the visitors the sophomore guard delivered the knockout punch with an exhilarating four-point play that made it 48-33 with 4:56 left in regulation.

TJ closed out the game by scoring seven of the final 11 points.

“It felt really good to make that play,” DeAngelo said. “The gym was so loud when I got that call. Coach has instilled so much confidence in me as a shooter and he sometimes gets mad when I do not take those open shots.”