BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The job of any bench is to wait their turn and when they are called upon be ready to give the team a spark and make a difference. That is what the reserves of the Fairfield University Women's Basketball team did as they totaled 25 bench points courtesy of a career-high 13 points from Erika Schlosser, giving the Stags a late lead, but they could not hold on falling 56-53 in the first game of the Christmas City Class at Lehigh University.
 
Schlosser, who entered the game with just four career points, was single-handedly the difference maker, starting with her first career 3-pointer in the second quarter. Schlosser would tally five points in the fourth quarter, with both field goals giving the Stags (1-4) a lead late in the game. Her second field goal of the period gave Fairfield a 51-48 advantage with under two minutes remaining. However, Lehigh (4-2) would take the lead on two lay-ups and their leading scorer Quinci Mann hit all four free throws to put the Lehigh advantage at 56-53 with 16 seconds left.
 
This was the same scenario the Stags had ten seconds earlier, where they decided to go for a quick two-pointer that was missed but Samantha Cooper was fouled on the put-back and hit both of her free throws. This time, the Stags did not have that luxury and ran a play for Cooper in the corner. Cooper launched a three and seemed like she was hit on the play, with the ball not making the rim, but there was no call and Lehigh got the win and advanced to tomorrow's championship.
 
The bench helped the Stags fight back from a 10-point halftime deficit after shooting just .300 (9-for-30) in the first half. Fairfield was able to chip away for most of the third quarter, but their biggest stretch was a 10-3 run to end the third quarter and gave the Stags momentum. That run was started by the second 3-pointer of the game by Schlosser and rode that momentum into the fourth quarter, opening up the period with a 3-point play.
 
After cutting the deficit to just two at 39-37 to end the third, Schlosser's 3-point play gave Fairfield their first lead of the day.
 
The Stags would lead by as many as three points on three separate occasions, but could not get the lead over one possession.
 
Arguably the run started by picking up the defensive intensity as they held Lehigh to just eight points in the third quarter and a 29 percent shooting percentage (7-for-24) in the second half.
 
Two Stags reached double figures in scoring with Cooper leading the team with 17 points, the 51st game in her career she has reached double figures. Schlosser was the other Stags with 13.
 
Fairfield did a good job on the boards finishing with 33 boards compared to Lehigh's 35 The Mountain Hawks has not been out-rebounded all year after gained more rebounds than Minnesota and Monmouth in their non-conference slate.
 
Kristen McLaughlin also did an admirable job coming off the bench as she finished with six points, one shy a career-high. She also led the defensive attack with two steals, one of six different Stags to pick up at least one in the contest.
Fairfield will now play the loser of the New Hampshire and La Salle contest this evening to close out Fairfield's play in the Christmas City Classic. Game time will be 2pm.