YORK, Neb. – The York University men's basketball team knocked off Avila in a four-overtime thriller Wednesday evening.

The Panthers are now 5-13 overall, including 2-11 in KCAC action. The Eagles stand at 9-9 overall and 6-7 in league play.

Head coach Tree Burks' team was led by Chris Dixon's 31-point performance. Andrew Bennett amassed 19 points and 17 rebounds for a double-double while DJ Leaks added 18 points and four steals.

Rhino Hernandez and Dylan Holston totaled nine points apiece in the victory.

Down 11-9 in the early going, Amari Haynes found Dixon for a lay-up. Dixon followed it up with a three-ball off a pass from Devin Carroll with 8:30 to play in the half. Dave Dalge cut the deficit to six with 1:22 to play on a lay-up. With 38 seconds to go in the half, Dalge's tip-in made it a 26-22 contest at the break.

Trailing 33-25, Holston canned a three-point shot at the 14:26 mark. After Avila hit a shot from downtown, Leaks netted four consecutive points in a 20-second span to pull the squad within four, 36-32. Dixon drained a jumper before Leaks' free throw made it a one-point game, 36-35, at the 10:59 mark.

Haynes found Holston for a three-point basket, giving the Panthers a 38-36 advantage. A Leaks' lay-up propelled York to a four-point advantage with 9:15 to go.

Tied at 44-44, Leaks connected on an inside shot to go up two. The back-and-forth affair saw the visitors hold a 49-48 lead, but Dixon gave the home squad a 50-49 advantage at the 3:22 mark.

Avila held a 55-53 margin, but Dixon sent the game into overtime with a lay-up with 48 seconds to play.

Trailing 57-55, Hernandez hit Leaks for a three-point shot with 4:24 to play. Down 61-58, Hernandez connected with Dixon for a jumper at the 2:19 mark. After a rebound by Bennett, Haynes found Dixon for a game-tying three-point basket with 43 seconds left. Dalge snagged a rebound with 11 seconds to go, but a missed shot sent the contest into a second overtime period.

Bennett's jumper gave York a 65-63 lead, but Avila went on an 8-0 run before Bennett connected on an old-fashioned three-point play at the 2:43 mark. Down 74-69, Hernandez buried a three-ball off a pass from Holston with 93 seconds remaining.

Avila hit a lay-up, but Leaks answered with a three-ball, pulling the Panthers within one with 50 seconds left. Hernandez grabbed a defensive rebound and was fouled. He tied the game with a free throw. Solid defense by York forced the third overtime session.

Bennett's jumper sent York to a slim 78-77 advantage, but Avila countered just 21 seconds later for a 79-78 lead. The defensive battle saw the Panthers fall behind by three, but Bennett forced a fourth overtime when he sent a pass to Dixon, who promptly buried a three-point shot with nine seconds to go. Holston recorded a steal as time expired, resulting in a fourth overtime.

York took an early lead in the fourth extra period, but the Eagles regained the advantage briefly. Dixon's three-point play gave the Panthers an 86-84 edge. Down 88-87, Leaks was fouled and promptly hit both charity tosses with 44 seconds to go. Two free throws by Dixon extended the margin to three, 91-88, with 24 seconds remaining.

Haynes stole the ball and got the ball to Leaks with nine seconds on the clock. Leaks made one-of-two for a four-point margin. The Panthers forced a missed three-point shot, securing the win.

For the game, York hit 30-of-86 from the floor, including nine-of-34 from the three-point line. The squad buried 23-of-40 from the three-point line. The Panthers pulled down 66 boards, including 21 on the offensive glass. York dished out 14 assists and tallied 22 second chance points.

The Panthers return to action Saturday when they play at Ottawa University at 4 p.m. Live stats and video will be available at Yorkpanthers.com.