SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Roundup : Katella Rallies in Regulation, but Loses in Overtime to Saugus, 69-68

Saugus High School’s Greg Meber made two free throws with 10 seconds left in overtime to lead the Centurions to a 69-68 upset of No. 2-seeded Katella Friday at Katella in a boys’ Southern Section 3-A playoff game.

Katella, Empire League champions, scored six points in the last 50 seconds of regulation and tied the score, 62-62, on a Richard Lucas steal and dunk with 3 seconds left.

Saugus (18-9) led, 62-54, with 2:43 left in the game but Lucas stole the ball and made a layup followed by a Saugus turnover.

John Sunu then made four free throws in the next minute to set the stage for Lucas’ tying basket for Katella (23-3).

Lucas, who scored a team-high 21 points and had 12 rebounds, scored the first basket in overtime to put Katella ahead, 64-62, but Katella then missed several chances to take control.

Saugus, which was a wild-card team out of the Golden League, made five of six free throws in overtime and went ahead, 67-66, on a pair of free throws by Rusty Morse with 35 seconds left.

Morse scored a game-high 24 points and teammate Ricky Bilek added 14 and John Thomas 10.

Lucas missed a chance to tie the score when he missed the front end of a one-and-one with 25 seconds left.

After the miss, Katella was forced to foul Meber who made the game clinching free throws.

The Knights cut the final score to one on a dunk by Lucas as time ran out.

Ian Donnelly scored 14 and Tom Villaneuva scored 13 for the Knights who have made the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons but have not won a title.