LEXINGTON, Va. -- Washington and Lee gave Hampden-Sydney, ranked No. 1 in Division III, a scare before falling to the Tigers, 56-49, on Wednesday evening in the Warner Center.

Hampden-Sydney (17-0, 11-0) surged to a 14-point lead (17-3) just 9:03 into the first half, however, Washington and Lee chipped away to cut the Tiger lead to just five points (28-23) at the half.

The Generals (5-10, 4-8) continued to slice into the H-SC lead in the second half and tied the game at 41-41 with 7:51 remaining. W&L trailed by just three points (52-49) with :28 seconds remaining, but the Tigers hit four free throws in that span to escape with the seven-point win.

Washington and Lee was led by freshman guard Toussaint Crawford (Laurel, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti), who scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Senior center Brian Ricketts (Memphis, Tenn./Memphis University School) tallied eight points and a game-high nine rebounds. W&L shot 44 percent from the floor, while holding Hampden-Sydney to a season-low 33 percent from the floor. The 56 points were also a season-low.

Senior forward Jack Jirak (Lexington, Ky./Lexington Christian) and senior guard T.J. Grimes (Onancock, Va./Nandua) were the only two in double-figures for the Tigers. Jirak scored 12 points to go along with six rebounds, while Grimes totaled 11 points.

Washington and Lee will next play on Sunday as it hosts Villa Julie College in a 3:00 pm contest.