PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – If the temperature in Memorial Hall seemed a few degrees above normal on Saturday afternoon, the cause was most likely the roundball battle that was taking place between Plattsburgh State and Oneonta State.

In a game which saw good defense take a back seat to great offense, the Cardinals had five players net at least 10 points – including senior Reggie Williams who recorded a career-high 24 – but Frankie Kelly's hard-driving layup with two seconds remaining in overtime vaulted the Red Dragons to a 94-92 SUNYAC win.

The Cardinals (5-2, 1-1 SUNYAC) scorched their home twine for the second consecutive evening, ripping off a field goal percentage of 50-percent (33-of-66), but the Red Dragons (4-3, 2-0 SUNYAC) used some dead-eye bombing from downtown (11-of-26, 42.3-percent) – as well as a game-high 31 points from offensive juggernaut Zach Mager - to send Plattsburgh State to its first SUNYAC setback of 2014-15.

It became abundantly clear right from the get-go that the Cardinals wouldn't be able to shoot their way past Oneonta State as they have done with their other foes this season. Those basketball minds who preach defense would have wept through the first 3:25 of regulation as the visitors doubled up the Cardinals by a 14-7 score.

Edward Correa laced a deep triple during that eye-popping opening salvo which gave his squad an early 5-4 edge. That advantage was one of just two the Cardinals would possess through the initial stanza, though.

Mager returned the favor with a triple of his own to put the finishing touches on the Red Dragons' first offensive surge before the Cardinals embarked on their first lengthy offensive excursion of the afternoon.

In the span of just 2:06, the home team rattled off a 12-0 run which featured a fast-break dunk from senior Shamoy McIntosh as well as a pair of buckets from Williams. With the shot clock winding down and the defense draped all over him, senior Mike Mitchell rose to the occasion, drilling an off-balance three-pointer to hand his squad a 19-14 lead with 13:18 to go in the first half.

With Oneonta State seemingly out on its feet and grasping at the ropes, the Cardinals never could connect on any kind of knockout haymaker. Making sure Plattsburgh State wouldn't get a chance at any other long-winded scoring spurts was crafty sharpshooter Jack Dignan.

Dignan set up shop from downtown and proceeded to knock down three consecutive trifectas which helped the Red Dragons stay ahead by five, 32-27, with 6:11 showing on the first-half clock. The Red Dragons retook the lead on the strength of an 11-1 run which featured a trio of long balls.

The lead belonged to the visitors for the remainder of the half, but the Cardinals did manage to tie things up one last time before the halftime horn when Mitchell canned his second downtown bucket to make matters 32-32.

A frenetic game of call-and-response dominated the second 20-minute period which saw the teams become deadlocked on no fewer than 10 occasions. In total, the lead was exchanged some 14 times during the energetic final frame.

Each squad owned a lead of five points during the stanza with Oneonta receiving theirs courtesy of Mager. He polished off a 6-0 Red Dragon in with a long ball and a fast break score, putting the Cardinals at a 52-47disadvantage with 14:03 to go in regulation.

The painted area served as the staging area for the Cardinals' bid to go ahead for good. Xavier Thomas snaked past Kareem Willams to drop in a scoop shot and then ventured to the free throw stripe where he sunk is attempts to make things 67-62 Cardinals with 7:32 left in the second.

Coming down to crunch time, Correa drained a fast-break triple to put the Cardinals ahead 76-73, but the Red Dragons came charging back with four straight points – including another long-range connection from Mager – to lead 77-76 with 2:29 to go.

Five straight points from Jordan Moody helped keep the home team afloat, but the Red Dragons never said die and fought back to take a lead on yet another Dignan triple with 20 ticks remaining. Williams helped the Cardinals force overtime by handling things down on the block and banking in a layup.

Poised to finally finish off the pesky Red Dragons in the extra frame, Williams and Thomas both recorded layups in the first minute, but Dignan struck for his fifth and final downtown hit of the afternoon before Mager recorded an old-fashioned three-point play to put the Red Dragons ahead 90-88 with 2:38 to go in OT.

Both teams traded baskets with Williams knotting things for the final time on another layup with 19 seconds left, but Kelly's score in traffic proved to be the dagger. Ezra Hodgson's inbounds pass was picked off by Mager, sealing the deal for Oneonta State.

Thomas (14), McIntosh (12), Moody (11) and Kyle Richardson (10) also recorded double figures for the home team, but Kelly finished with 18 while Dignan (15) and Mikey McElroy (12) helped pull the Red Dragons ahead.

Williams finished off his double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds while Kelly passed out a game-best 10 assists for his own double-double.

Plattsburgh State will have to wait until the final day of 2014 before receiving an opportunity to win another basketball contest. At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31, the Cardinals will head to the Granite State to do battle with Keene State.