Jackson saves Tech with game-winner at buzzer

Georgia Tech may really benefit from Tuesday’s last-second victory when the team starts counting wins and losses in March.

The Yellow Jackets scored at the buzzer to beat Northwestern 52-51 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at McCamish Pavilion and took one more step in putting the thrill back in the Thrillerdome.

The Yellow Jackets had blown a 10-point lead late in the game and trailed 51-50 when Northwestern’s Dererk Pardon scored on a putback.

Georgia Tech had only 7.1 seconds left to make the miracle happen. Jose Alvardo took the ball down court, faked a pass to the right and spotted Tadric Jackson on the left.

Jackson took the pass and drove the lane, with his layup dropping in as the horn sounded.

Georgia Tech took its first double-digit lead when Ben Lammers scored on a layup with 14:13 remaining to make it 39-39.

Five who mattered

Georgia Tech guard Tadric Jackson: The senior scored 10 points, including the game-winner, and had seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. He is averaging 12 points since returning from his suspension.

Georgia Tech center Ben Lammers: Limited to 31 minutes because of early foul trouble, the senior had 13 points, six rebounds and one blocked shot. Lammers committed four turnovers.

Georgia Tech guard Jose Alvarado: The freshman continues to impress with his court sense and all-out style. He scored nine points, but had three rebounds, four assists and one steal.

Georgia Tech forward Curtis Haywood II: The freshman was perfect on field goals (3-for-3, including two 3-pointers) and free throws (3-for-3) and led the team with six rebounds.

Northwestern guard Bryant McIntosh: Scored a game-high 19 points, including two 3-pointers, and added six rebounds and five assists.

Turning point

Georgia Tech had a 10-point lead with 8:03 left in the game, but a series of sloppy plays allowed Northwestern to get back in. The Wildcats went on a 12-0 run and took a 49-47 lead with 2:21 remaining.

Observations

AD’s contributions: Abdoulaye “AD” Gueye isn’t the most gifted offensive player, but he contributes in other ways. Gueye hustles (once simply taking the ball away from an inattentive rebounder), rebounds and can pass the ball. In the first half he went up for a jumper, spotted Moses Wright cutting to the basket and fed him the ball for a slam.

Too many turnovers: Georgia Tech committed 15 turnovers, leading to 15 Northwestern points. The Yellow Jackets scored only six points on turnovers.

Worth mentioning

Okogie may not return on Sunday: Sophomore Josh Okogie’s six-game suspension will end after Friday’s game against Grambling State, but he isn’t likely to be physically able to return for Sunday’s game against Tennessee. Doctors are treating an infection on Okogie’s left finger and he may not be cleared until later in December, possibly not until the ACC season begins.

Shaking it off: Gueye twisted his ankle late in the first half. He limped off the court at the 3:43 timeout, but never checked out of the game.

A hairy situation: Early arriving fans received a Josh Pastner wig. The student section and the Georgia Tech band wore the black, curly wigs all night.

What’s next?

Georgia Tech hosts Grambling State on Friday at 7 p.m. at McCamish Pavilion.

This story was originally published November 28, 2017 at 10:09 PM with the headline "Jackson saves Tech with game-winner at buzzer."