Perth Lynx fight back from 16 points down against Southside Melbourne Flyers in WNBL as Anneli Maley stars

The never-say-die Perth Lynx have produced their second extraordinary comeback for the season to beat Southside Melbourne Flyers by three points as co-captain Anneli Maley led from the front. The Lynx looked gone when they trailed by 16 points in the dying stages of the third quarter. But they refused to concede and won 79-76 at Perth High Performance Centre on Sunday. Having turned around a 10-point deficit against Sydney Flames last month with a 25-9 final quarter, this time they won on the back of a 27-10 last period. “The fourth quarter was probably the best we’ve played all year,” coach Ryan Petrik said. “It will certainly give them a sense of belief, and the reality that we’ve got the minutes to do it. If we want to play harder for longer because we think we’ve got some depth this year that should allow us to run out games better. We do think we’re deeper overall.” The Lynx shot horribly in the first half and consistently missed lay-ups. Maley was one of the main culprits but she lifted when the game was on the line, scoring 13 points for the final term to finish with 22 points and 13 rebounds. Guard Ally Wilson, who wore a mask to protect her broken nose, said Maley’s performance highlighted the importance of never giving up. “That wasn’t a strength in Maley’s game or character early on in her career,” Wilson said. “If she’d missed a couple of those easy bunnies early, that would have been her done for the game. Now she has grown so much. To be able to miss all those shots early and have 13 points in the last quarter and drag us over the line, it is a testament to her character and her growth. “We look to Maley in times of need and follow her lead, hence why she’s our captain.”