MacArthur girls basketball's Gabby Nicolini scores 15 points in win over Herricks at Nassau Coliseum
MacArthur's Gabby Nicolini throws a pass over the head of Herricks' Lia Bono in the first quarter during a Nassau girls basketball game on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at Nassau Coliseum. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Playing at the Nassau Coliseum could be nerve-wracking for any high school athlete, but Gabby Nicolini leaned on her experience at the professional venue.
Nicolini scored a game-high 15 points to lead MacArthur to a 48-28 victory over Herricks in a non-league girls basketball matchup on Saturday morning.
"The conditioning here is a little different. You have to keep that in mind before you come here because it is more demanding on your body," Nicolini said. "We had a good practice yesterday, so we came in physically and mentally prepared."
The event, known as the "Court of Dreams," was hosted by the Long Island Nets to feature non-league games, providing student-athletes with the opportunity to play on a professional court.
MacArthur has been participating in the event for the past few years, dating back to December 2017, when the Generals lost to Mepham. Saturday was the second year in a row that the Generals faced Herricks at Nassau Coliseum.
"It is a really nice experience, the Coliseum people do an excellent job with everything," coach Dave Radtke said.
Herricks coach Jonathan Lavas added, "We have girls who are looking to play at the next level, either in basketball or in another sport. So this kind of exposure is a great experience for them."
Nicolini made her presence known on the court, knocking down open threes, getting to the rim in transition, and drawing fouls. She took on a point guard role in the fourth quarter, dishing out three assists in the first three minutes of the final period.
"It feels good to perform well here at the Coliseum and put up a good amount of points," Nicolini said. "But getting my teammates involved is equally important. I'm glad we were able to do it one more time in the Coliseum."
Meaghan Campbell had nine points and a block, and Caitlin Kilian scored six points, including a deep three from the left wing, to cap an 8-0 run to give MacArthur a 39-22 lead late in the third quarter.
Sofia Begawala led Herricks (3-6) with 11 points, and Ridima Sethi scored seven points.
"No matter how many times you play here, it's always a different experience," Sethi said. "The lights are brighter, and you're on a bigger stage, so it prepares you for the next level."
"The lights definitely made an impact, but talking to my teammates and talking about our game plan got me over my nerves," said Herricks guard Mariyah Darr, who scored three points.
Brianna Peduzzi added five points as nine players scored for MacArthur (9-0).
Radtke said playing on a court like the one where the Long Island Nets play prepares the girls for bigger stages, such as when they are in the playoffs.
"It gets us out of our comfort zone, which is good," Radtke said. "I have confidence in all of them. We play hard and execute our game plan."
Jonathan Ruban covers high school sports for Newsday after graduating from St. John’s.
