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Los Angeles • Nobody can accuse the Utah women's basketball team of easing into its Pac-12 schedule.

Coach Lynne Roberts and the Utes open conference play Friday night at 10th-ranked UCLA, just 36 hours before a Sunday afternoon battle against perennial power USC.

Utah is 11-0 for the first time since 2000-01. It has lost nine straight games to UCLA, however, and hasn't yet faced a player like Jordin Canada, the Bruins' All-American point guard and national Player of the Year candidate.

Courtney Jaco plays at USC and is Canada's former high school teammate.

"You think you're in front of her," Jaco told ESPN, "but she's so quick [and] so explosive, she's gone in the next second."

Still, Utah has done everything Roberts could asked during its unbeaten pre-league season, especially on defense.

The Utes rank third in the country in opponent field-goal percentage (.310) and 12th nationally in blocked shots (6.5). Teams shoot only 23.6 percent from the 3-point line on Utah, which is coming off an eight-day holiday break after a 78-65 win over Northern Arizona on Dec. 21.

Individually, the Utes are led by 6-foot-6 junior forward Emily Potter, who averages 17.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and three blocked shots. Against Northern Arizona, she became the 26th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career.

"It's a feat for anyone to do it in four years," Roberts said. "But to be able to hit that [milestone] one-third of the way into your third season means you're a good player. She is really good and a game-changer. I don't think people realize how athletic she is."

Potter sat out the 2014-15 season with an injury. But over the past two years she has emerged as Utah's leader in every respect.

"My biggest improvement would be my leadership role — being more mentally focused every practice and game — and making better reads on offense," Potter said. "… I think I'm playing a lot smarter."

According to Potter, playing with the Canadian national team last summer is paying huge dividends.

"Team Canada has given me so many opportunities to play basketball with and against high-level, dedicated athletes," she said. "It's opened my eyes to so many different ways to play the game."

In the Pac-12 preseason poll, UCLA was picked first. The Utes were voted to finish eighth, but their goals are obviously much higher.

"Our players were hungry to succeed," Roberts told The Tribune earlier this season. "I give them all the credit. They have … worked harder than they've ever worked before and they reaped the benefits from it." —

Utah at UCLA

P At Pauley Pavilion

Tipoff • Friday, 8 p.m. MST

TV • none

Radio • ESPN 700

Records • Utah 11-0, UCLA 9-2

Series • UCLA, 10-3

Last meeting • UCLA, 69-63 (Jan. 1, 2016)