In the RAD Center, Randolph (15-11) came out rather flat offensively, hitting on just one basket in the first 5:35.
Washington & Lee (7-19) couldn't get much going either, taking the lead but never pulling away by more than seven.
Randolph chipped away, finally getting its first lead of the game on a layup by junior Lucas Smith (Cloverdale, Va./Lord Botetourt) off a feed from sophomore Seth Wimbish (Fairdale, W.V./Liberty) with seven ticks left in the first half.
After the Generals tied the game early in the second, Randolph used a 6-0 run courtesy of a three by sophomore
Evan Horn (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) and a three point play by sophomore Corey Brown (Williamsburg, Va./Walsingham).
W&L used a 4-0 run and a 9-0 run surrounding a Brown three to turn a deficit into a three point edge.
The teams remained close, sitting tied with 8:01 left.
Randolph scored six straight on back-to-back threes by senior Mike Ehilegbu (Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft) and sophomore Jason Eddie (Charlotte, N.C./Davidson Day School), but immediately conceded a seven point spurt.
The teams exchanged buckets before Horn gave Randolph its final lead with 1:53 left on a pair of free throws.
Jim Etling and Andy Kleinlein responded with a pair of threes for W&L, putting the team up four.
After a Brown layup, Etling hit two free throws to ice the game.
For Randolph, it was the 16th time in 26 games in which the game was a single possession in the final minute. The team is 8-8 in those contests.
Ehilegbu finished with 15 in his final game in black and yellow. Eddie had 12 and Brown had 10.
Washington and Lee advances to play Guilford on Friday in the quarterfinals.
"One game doesn't define a season," head coach Clay Nunley said. "It stings right now, but when time runs its course, the guys should look back and feel good about our season. We won 15 games and had a winning ODAC record, which I'm proud of."
