ATLANTA - Although it's still January, Georgia Tech needed this game in the worst way.

The Yellow Jackets had lost three in a row, squandered a 17-point lead over Wake Forest and were on the verge of a crushing defeat when Jarrett Jack stepped to the free-throw line with 4.4 seconds left in overtime.

"I told myself that I had to come through for my team," Jack said. "The mark of a great team is being able to put the past behind you."

After gathering himself with a stroll toward the opposite foul line, Jack calmly made both free throws to give No. 22 Georgia Tech a 102-101 victory over the fifth-ranked Demon Deacons on Thursday night.

Wake Forest got the last shot, but Chris Paul missed at the buzzer. He also had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, but that attempt fell off the rim, too.

"Coach said, 'Get the ball and try to get to the basket,'" Paul said. "I just missed it."

In other games involving ranked teams Thursday, it was: No. 11 Arizona 91, No. 10 Washington 82; No. 15 Michigan State 64, Michigan 53; and No. 21 Cincinnati 74, South Florida 48.

Georgia Tech (12-5, 3-3) built a 34-17 lead in the first half, but Wake Forest (16-3, 4-2) rallied behind Eric Williams, who scored 27 points and was nearly unstoppable on the inside.

Williams didn't get much help from Paul. The leading vote-getter on the AP's preseason All-America team managed only eight points on 2-of-11 shooting.

Will Bynum scored a career-high 30 points for Georgia Tech and spent time guarding Paul.

"We take pride in stopping great players," Bynum said. "He's a great player, so we try to play him as physically as possible. Don't let him get into rhythm. Be there in his face every time."

Georgia Tech's student body stormed the court after the final miss, setting off a raucous celebration that lasted several minutes. Weary players from both teams struggled just to make it to their locker rooms.

The Yellow Jackets started the season in the top five, but three straight ACC losses sent them tumbling in the rankings. They had to bounce back from a stunning upset at home by Virginia Tech last Saturday.

"This may have been make or break for our season," Bynum said. "If we had lost this game, it could have destroyed our confidence."

It was a game that didn't want to end, stretching on for nearly three hours and leaving both teams huffing and puffing. Georgia Tech's Isma'il Muhammad hobbled off the court with severe leg cramps, but the pain subsided after he was injected with fluids. He finished the game with both arms wrapped in gauze.