The Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team was the top offensive squad in Class 5A last season, averaging 62.4 ppg.

The TJ girls allowed only 42.1 ppg defensively en route to a 22-6 overall record.

The Jaguars were 12-1 in the first week of January and 17-2 late in the regular season, then won four of six playoff games.

TJ’s chief nemesis last year was rival Peters Township, which defeated the Jaguars twice in Section 4-5A play and twice in the postseason.

TJ advanced to the WPIAL semifinals and PIAA second round a year ago, losing to Peters Township by three and four points in the two games.

With nine returning letter winners including four starters on this year’s squad, TJ is looking to manufacture another banner season in 2025-26.

Maggie Spell, a 5-foot-10 senior guard/forward and the team’s leading scorer a year ago with a 17 ppg average, is back, along with a host of talented athletes.

Spell, a Campbell commit, was a third-team all-state selection last season and has scored 1,600 career points.

She is joined by returning starters Riley McCabe, a 5-8 senior point guard who will continue her career at Frostburg State, Leah Lockhart, a 5-9 senior forward/Penn State Behrend recruit, and Emma Altavilla, a 6-foot junior forward.

Spell and McCabe paced the squad in assists distribution last year while Allie Wilson, a 6-1 junior forward and Mercyhurst commit, was TJ’s leading rebounder.

The Jaguars actually began 2025-26 with a painful loss as Robert Morris recruit Kaylee DeAngelo, a 5-6 junior guard, was deemed out of the lineup with a season-ending injury.

Also aiming to make an impact this winter are juniors Emily Hritz and Molly Pugh, a pair of 5-5 guards; and Giuliana Mendel, a 5-3 sophomore guard.

Top freshman prospects include Mycah McCabe (G/PG), Emily Garcia (G), Vanessa Warden (G/F) and Emily Myers (F).

TJ finished second in league play with a 9-3 record as Peters Township won the Section 4-5A championship at 12-0. TJ was followed by Baldwin (8-4), Bethel Park (6-6), Trinity (5-7), Albert Gallatin (1-11) and Uniontown (1-11) in the final standings.

The Jaguars started out last year with an impressive performance in the Montour tournament, rolling past Quaker Valley, 66-23, and Knoch, 77-19.

DeAngelo (14), McCabe (13) and Spell (12) clicked for 39 points between them against QV. DeAngelo tossed in six 3-pointers and scored 20 points against Knoch in Day 2 of the tournament. DeAngelo was complemented offensively by McCabe with 17 points and Spell with 14.

The Jaguars repeated their 2-0 showing in Montour’s tip-off tournament this season, defeating Quaker Valley, 64-29, and Knoch, 63-24, on back-to back days.

Altavilla, with 13 points, Spell (12) and McCabe (11) paced TJ offensively against Quaker Valley. Spell led with 18 points against Knoch. Altavilla contributed 13 and Riley McCabe chipped in with 10.