Tadric Jackson's driving layup as time expired helped Georgia Tech survive a late comeback by Northwestern for a 52-51 victory on Tuesday at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta.

Ben Lammers scored 13 points, Curtis Haywood II added 11 and Jackson had 10 off the bench for the Yellow Jackets (4-1), who have won four consecutive games after opening the season with a loss to UCLA.

Bryant McIntosh scored a game-high 18 points, and Dererk Pardon added 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Wildcats (4-3).

Jackson hit a 3-pointer that gave Georgia Tech a 47-37 lead with eight minutes left in the second half. Northwestern responded with 12 straight points, including a dunk and a layup from Pardon and a tough, running floater from McIntosh that tied the score 47-47 with 3:13 to play.

Pardon gave the Wildcats a 51-50 lead on a put-back with seven seconds left.

On its ensuing possession, Georgia Tech called timeout and then got the ball to Jackson on the left wing. He drove in for a left-handed layup as time expired.

The game got off to a sluggish start, with neither team finding much offensive rhythm. Moses Wright's dunk and free throw gave Georgia Tech a 12-10 lead with 9:20 left to go in the first half.

The pace picked up as the half closed. McIntosh knocked down a jumper to tie the score with 2:34 left in the half, but the Yellow Jackets scored the next six points and took a 28-22 lead into intermission.

Northwestern returns home to open Big Ten play versus Illinois on Friday. Georgia Tech plays host to Grambling on Friday.