ONEONTA, N.Y. – Junior guard Shalik Jenkins (Brooklyn, N.Y./Boys and Girls) made a layup with one second remaining in regulation to lift the State University of New York at New Paltz men's basketball team (9-16, 6-12 SUNYAC) to a 66-64 State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) victory over SUNY Oneonta (3-22, 2-16 SUNYAC) in the regular-season finale for both teams on Friday night.

The Hawks mounted a six-point edge (57-51) with 7:32 remaining in regulation after a pair of made free throws by junior forward Matt Devine (Manalapan, N.J./Freehold Township), but Oneonta countered with four unanswered points to make it a one-possession game. Freshman guard/forward Matt Pierson (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa) knocked down a three to push the Hawk advantage back out to five (60-55), but once again, the Red Dragons clawed back, drawing within one with 3:23 left in the second half. Senior guard/forward Harris Wichard (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) made a layup on the Hawks' next offensive possession, but Kevin Donahue knocked down a three to tie the score for the sixth time in the contest at 2:42 of the second half.

Freshman forward/center Alan Siergiej (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by-the-Sea) made a shot on New Paltz's next possession to give the Hawks a slight lead, and New Paltz called a 30-second timeout with 1:47 to play. A New Paltz turnover paved the way for a Cameron Boyden layup, which knotted the tally at 64-all with 59 seconds remaining. Boyden wound up coming down with a rebound after a missed jumper, and with the shot clock turned off, Oneonta had a chance to have the final possession. Frankie Kelly misfired on a layup with three seconds left on the clock, and the ball caromed off a Red Dragon player to give the Hawks possession. Oneonta called a 30-second timeout to draw up a defensive play, but Jenkins was able to lay the ball up just before time expired, giving New Paltz a two-point lead with one second left. Zach Mager was able to uncork a three-point attempt at the buzzer, but it did not drop, giving the Hawks another thrilling last-second victory.

Both teams traded blows in the first half, with New Palz leading most of the way. After Siergiej's pair of made free throws with 48 seconds to go in the first stanza put the Hawks up by three, Kelly cut the lead to one heading into the locker room, as the Hawks held a 34-33 edge at the break. A Devine jumper swelled the New Paltz lead to seven (42-35) in the early stages of the second half, but Oneonta's 12-0 scoring spree allowed the Red Dragons to a take a five-point advantage at 47-42. Junior guard Nick Taldi (Merrick, N.Y./Bellmore JFK) was able to wrest the lead away from Oneonta at 10:19 of the second half, which ended up setting the table for the frantic finish.

New Paltz shot above 50 percent from the floor, operating at a 55.6 percent (25-of-45) clip. That figure included a 45.5 percent (10-of-22) shooting night from beyond the arc. Oneonta, however, outrebounded the Hawks by a 34-32 cushion, and the Red Dragons turned the ball over just four times. Meanwhile, New Paltz committed 16 turnovers, which led to 17 Oneonta points.

Devine led the Hawks offensively with 20 points, while Taldi and Wichard added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Wichard and Devine tied for the team-high in rebounds with seven each, while Jenkins dished out a career-high-tying six assists.

For Oneonta, nine different players scored, led by Kelly's 21 points. Boyden netted 11 points thanks to 5-of-9 shooting from the floor, while Dan Lee reached double figures with 10 points coming off the bench. Kelly stuffed the stat sheet with five assists and four steals, while Dan McLaren grabbed a game-high 10 boards.

New Paltz faces a tough test on Tuesday, Feb. 21, as it travels to Oswego, N.Y., to face top-seeded and nationally-ranked SUNY Oswego in the quarterfinal round of the 2012 SUNYAC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament. The Hawks, who hold the tournament's No. 8 seed, tip off with the Lakers at 7 p.m. at Max Ziel Gymnasium.