Lobos’ latest signing is Australian guard

Hurst joins McClure as New Mexico’s second spring addition

The University of New Mexico women’s basketball team added some international flavor Thursday in the person of Ahlise Hurst.

A 5-foot-9 guard from Australia, Hurst became the Lobos’ second spring signing in as many days, joining Nike McClure, a 6-3 graduate transfer from Washington State.

Hurst, who turned 18 in January and will join UNM as a freshman this coming season, has impressive credentials. She played for the Bendigo Spirit in Australia’s professional Women’s National Basketball League last season and was recently named to the Australian National Team for this summer’s FIBA U18 Asian Championship in Thailand.

“She’s a high IQ player who does a little bit of everything,” Lobos coach Mike Bradbury said. “She can shoot it, handles the ball well, makes good decisions. She’s just really solid.”

Bradbury has spent plenty of time watching Hurst play, albeit none in person. Her unusual recruiting story began with Hurst and her father, Joe Hurst, contacting UNM’s staff. It continued with hours of video research.

“We’ve seen extensive footage of her playing against high-level competition,” Bradbury said. “We liked what we saw. Ahlise can really play, and her skill set fits what we do.”

Hurst has basketball bloodlines. Her father, known as “Jumpin’” Joe Hurst, played college hoops at Southwest Missouri State and went on to a successful pro career. He was MVP of Australia’s National Basketball League in 1998.

Ahlise Hurst has been turning heads with her play since she was selected for Australia’s National Performance Program as a 14-year-old. She played for the country’s U17 National Team in last year’s Oceania Women’s Championship in Guam.

Hurst’s best game for Bendigo was a 15-point outing against Townsville on Dec. 9. She made 7 of 8 shots, including her only 3-point try. But Hurst got limited minutes in her first season with the Spirit and averaged 3.0 points per game.

Hurst will get her first inperson look at UNM later this spring. Her signing leaves the Lobos with one open scholarship for 2018-19.