Random Riddle: The Combination Lock

After Andrew had been sick for a week, he asked his best friend Jesse to get his books out of his locker. Instead of telling Jesse the three number combination Andrew said he kept a small piece of paper with the combination under his locker door.

After school Jesse went to Andrew’s locker and pulled the paper. On the paper was written:
24 24 22 9 9 9 9 22 24 22 9 9.

Thinking this would be easy but a little tedious, Jesse entered every arrangement of 24, 22, and 9 there was without the lock opening. Realizing there was something behind these numbers that he wasn’t noticing, Jesse sat down for a few minutes to think it out. After ten minutes of intense thinking, Jesse went to the locker, entered the combination into the lock and it opened.

What was the combination?
 

Random Riddle: The Combination Lock