MacArthur (11-3) eyes high playoff seed

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The MacArthur girls’ basketball team is closing in on earnings one of the top seeds for the upcoming Class AA playoffs with eyes toward another deep postseason run.

The Generals (11-3) enter the final five games of the result season at 6-2 in Conference AA1 with a split against defending Long Island Class AA champion East Meadow.

"We're playing pretty well,” said 11th-year MacArthur head coach Dave Radtke. “We should run the table and hopefully get a decent seed for the playoffs.”

MacArthur nearly pulled off a sweep of East Meadow Jan. 16 with a six point lead entering the fourth quarter before the Jets took off in the final period to pull away with a 47-38 win. The Generals, who are tied with East Meadow for second place in the league standings, were coming off a commanding 62-20 win against Great Neck North on Jan. 13 in which Meaghan Campbell registered 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Campbell, a junior center/power forward, is in the midst of another strong season after earning All-County honors as a junior. She tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds in a 42-36 victory against Herricks on Jan. 3.

Radtke said junior guard Ysabelle Perillo, who was co-defensive player of the year with Campbell as sophomore, has also helped key MacArthur’s success this winter.  Perillo was sidelined at the end of the East Meadow loss with an ankle injury, but is expected to heal in time for the next game.

Gabby Nicolini and Caitilin Kilian are also part of a large junior class who bring plenty of athleticism to the court as multi-sport athletes. They play an instrumental part of trying to play an uptempo style of offense that can create havoc for opposing defenses. 

Longtime county power Baldwin joined Conference AA this season and is the prohibitive favorite  after posting convincing wins against both MacArthur and East Meadow. Both Baldwin and East Meadow will be moving up conferences next season though positioning the Generals for a strong chance at a 2026 title with a senior-laden group.

“Baldwin is the class of the island, they are just that good,” said Radtke of the Bruins, which won nine straight county titles before falling to Syosset in last year’s Class AAA finals. “They're at a different level.”

MacArthur is next in action on Friday night at home against Great Neck South, who the Generals dispatched of 57-37 in the teams’ inaugural meeting of the season on Dec. 13 led by 21 points from Nicolini. The Generals then visit Long Beach for a Monday evening matchup.

The Class AA playoffs will get underway in mid February with MacArthur looking to at least react the semifinals stage for a second straight season.

“Making it to a Final Four two years in a row would be a nice feather in our cap,” Radtke said.  “It's going to be a tough journey, but I think we could make some noise.”