Thousand Oaks Works Triple Time : Prep basketball: Lancers need three extra periods to dispose of Simi Valley, 92-89.

Sooner or later, someone had to make a key free throw.

Either that or Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks highs would be playing basketball all night.

Thousand Oaks’ Scott Sheridan made one with 1 minute 39 seconds to play in the third overtime, breaking a tie, and Jeff Nowak made two more with 29 seconds to play to give the Lancers a 92-89 victory Wednesday night in a Marmonte League opener.

Simi Valley’s final attempt at a tying basket was foiled when Mike Martin got his hand on a Pioneer pass and knocked it into the backcourt as time expired.

The game took numerous weird twists from the final 20 seconds of regulation to the end of three overtimes.

Thousand Oaks’ Jeremiah Nesbitt, who finished with 29 points, was at the free throw line attempting to tie the score with 19 seconds to play in regulation, when players from both teams went into the lane early. A jump ball was called, giving Thousand Oaks (5-4) possession under its basket.

The Lancers missed and were called for a foul on the ensuing scramble, but Simi Valley’s Anthony Tauriello was called for a technical for taunting Thousand Oaks.

Tauriello missed the front end of a one-and-one for the personal foul, but Thousand Oaks’ Martin made one of the free throws for the technical, tying the game and sending it to overtime.

In the final nine seconds of the first overtime, Tauriello, Nesbitt and Simi Valley’s Scott Schnetzler all missed the first of one-and-ones that could have won the game, forcing the second overtime.

Thousand Oaks had the ball out of bounds with the score tied, 30-30, with 30 seconds to play in the second overtime, but Nowak was called for a five-second violation.

Simi Valley (4-1) could not take advantage of the turnover and the game went to a third overtime.

Sheridan’s free throw with 1:39 to play in the third overtime gave Thousand Oaks a 90-89 lead. Simi Valley was called for traveling and Thousand Oaks held the ball until Simi Valley was forced to foul, setting up Nowak’s free throws.

Dan Van Etten scored 21 points for the Pioneers and Tauriello added 20.

Martin added 16 points, and Mike Lauer and Greg Winslow each had 14 for the Pioneers.