SANTA ANA >> The Foothill boys basketball team overcame a 20-point deficit to beat Carlsbad 96-95 in triple overtime Thursday in the second round of the CIF SoCal Division II regional playoffs at Foothill High.

In the overtime periods, Cruz Billings and Braedyn Bernard came up big for the Knights (29-3). Billings scored 11 points during the overtime periods and made 9 of 11 free throws. Bernard scored eight of his 10 points in overtime and grabbed five rebounds.

Foothill’s fans prematurely celebrated in the third overtime when Carlsbad’s Jake Hall made a 3-pointer to cut the lead to three with 0.3 seconds remaining in the game. The Knights’ student section stormed the court thinking the game was over.

The officials ruled a technical foul and Hall was awarded two free throws and the ball out of bounds.

Hall made the free throws but the Knights deflected the inbounds pass to clinch the win.

“We just kept fighting and fighting. This is who we are and what we have been all season,” Foothill coach Yousof Etemadi said. “We don’t give up. I am super proud of our guys. That was a heck of a basketball game to be a part of for everyone involved.”

Foothill will host Rancho Cucamonga in the regional semifinals on Saturday.

Carlsbad (22-12) won the CIF-San Diego Section Division 1 championship and dominated Foothill in the first half. The Lancers shot 58 percent from 3-point range, forced nine turnovers in the first half and led 49-32.

“We knew they could shoot the ball and they are a high-octane offense,” Etemadi said. “We made adjustments and went small in the second half. We caught up and the goal was to get within 10 at the end of the third. They are a good basketball team, that’s why they won CIF down there.”

Foothill went on a 9-0 run to start the second half and started to get the crowd more involved in the game. Carlo Billings scored 18 of his team-high 25 points in the second half and grabbed 13 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Carlsbad trailed by four in the final minute of regulation, but back-to-back layups by Toby Harris sent the game into overtime.

The Lancers led by three in the first overtime after two free throws from Hall, but Tyler Ammann made a 3-pointer for Foothill to tie the game and send it to a second overtime.

Hall, a freshman guard, scored 37 points for Carlsbad and made 14 of 14 free throws. Tony Duckett scored 21 points before fouling out in the second overtime period. Harris had 15 points before fouling out in the final minutes of the third overtime.

Billings was able to draw contact and make his free throws in the third overtime and Jacob Horton made 3 of 4 free throws.

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Marco Manzi deflected the final inbound attempt by Carlsbad to finish the game.

“This is why you coach basketball and the kids play basketball,” Etemadi said. “The community has supported us all year and this is what playoff basketball is all about.”