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Deana Bledsoe and Tia Morrison share many of the same interests — horror movies, shoe shopping and cheese on their food.

The friends spent four years playing basketball at Copper Canyon High School in Glendale. Recruiters pursued both players, so it was only natural that they wound up playing college basketball together.

The freshmen headed to Pima College to help the Aztecs try to rebuild their program.

"They're great kids off the court," said Pima coach Todd Holthaus, who first saw Bledsoe and Morrison last December at a tournament at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy. "They bring athleticism. Tia brings us a presence inside, and 'D' is very athletic (and) can do a lot of things on the perimeter. And the best thing about them is they've got so much room to grow."

Bledsoe, a reserve small forward, and Morrison, the starting center, boast chemistry on the court, knowing where each other is. Holthaus said he expects Morrison to average a double-double and Bledsoe to be a defensive stopper and average around 10 points.

"I'm going to stay down low," said Morrison, who is 6 feet 2 inches. "I'll be in the post while she can play any position on the court."

Off the court, subtle differences set the 18-year-olds apart.

"She's more laid-back and I'm more upbeat. We kind of balance out," said the 5-10 Bledsoe.

The Aztecs use their depth to try to wear down opponents and often use 10 or more players. Eleven Aztecs played double-digit minutes in the team's 92-59 victory over Cochise College on Wednesday that opened play in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference.

Morrison is averaging 11 points and nine rebounds for Pima (2-1), while Bledsoe averages five points and 2.5 rebounds.

Cochise, Phoenix, Mesa, and Glendale were among the other colleges that expressed interest in Bledsoe and Morrison.

"I kinda wanted to get away from Phoenix, and (Holthaus is) a really good coach and we knew the team would be all freshmen," Morrison said. "We were looking forward to making them good this year and making people look at Pima."

The Aztecs play at Arizona Western on Saturday.

● The men's basketball team opened the ACCAC season with a 104-98 home loss to Cochise on Wednesday. Sophomore Shannon Doctor scored a team-high 23 points. Freshman Terrence Hill added 19 points and nine rebounds. The Aztecs (1-2) play at Arizona Western on Saturday.

● Pima plans to immediately begin a search for a new football coach after Bill Laslett resigned Monday. The Aztecs finished the season 0-10 and were 1-30 in Laslett's three-year tenure.

"We are committed to continuing our college's football program for our community," Robert Riza, Pima assistant vice chancellor for student services, said in a statement.