Thursday, October 1, 2026
MacArthur’s girls basketball team entered the final week of January with an unblemished record powered by a collective offensive juggernaut.
The Generals moved to 14-0 overall and 7-0 in Conference AA-1 with a 67-32 win at Long Beach last Friday on the strength of a career high 32 points from senior Gabby Nicolini. The 14 wins have produced five different leading scorers in seniors Meaghan Campbell, Nicolini, Caitilin Kilian and Ysabelle Perillo along with freshman phenom Brianna Peduzzi.
“They just want to win and they don’t care who scores,” said 12th-year head coach Dave Radtke. “We’re averaging about 15 to 20 assists per game.”
The Long Beach blowout win marked the Generals eighth victory by 20 points or more and fifth by over 30. Campbell, a versatile center/power forward, had a big all-around game with 14 points and seven blocks.
Campbell, a Vassar College commit, became the first player in program history to record 1,000 career rebounds in a 75-39 win against New Hyde Park on Jan. 14 in which she registered a double-double with 23 points and 17 boards. The Vassar College-bound Campell, who is also nearing the 1,000-career point milestone, had a rare quadruple double in a 57-36 victory at Calhoun on Jan. 5 with 10 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocks.
Radtke said Campbell along with the other starting seniors of Nicolini, Kilian and Perillo have displayed strong chemistry from having players together since they were youths at the CYO level.
“They know what each other is doing before they do it,” Radtke said. “They are a special group.”
Peduzzi has also been a bright spot in the starting lineup in her first season on varsity after starring on the Salk Middle School team as an eighth grader last year. She tallied a career-high 17 points in the Calhoun win and co-lead the Generals in scoring with 15 in a 71-37 triumph at Great Neck South on Jan. 8.
MacArthur dominated on both ends of the court in a 68-14 win at Jericho on Jan. 17 led by 17 points from Perillo. The Generals recorded shutouts in three of the four quarters, which Radtke said underscores how its strong defense has empowered its offense throughout the undefeated run.
“We’re averaging about 63 points a game but what really gets us going is our defense,” Radtke said. “Wer play straight zone and we press a lot.”
The Generals will look to continue their winning ways at Bellmore JFK for a 6:46 p.m. tipoff Friday before hosting Calhoun Monday at 7 p.m. MacArthur will then host Great Neck South on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.
The Class AA playoffs will commence in the third week of February, and Radtke is expecting stiff competition from Garden City, South Side, Manhasset and Mepham.
“The playoffs this year in our section are going to be wide open,” Radtke said. “It is going to be very competitive.”
