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Seattle, Wash. • The Runnin' Utes took shelter from the pouring Seattle skies at the shoebox-sized gym at O'Dea high school on Saturday morning. Under dozens of maroon-and-gold title banners and surrounded by folded-up wooden bleachers, the team drilled and ran in a gym that summoned some sentimentality for Larry Krystkowiak.

"It's nice to have a little flashback," he said. "It's got a uniqueness to it. Sometimes it's good to get a little nostalgic for where you came from."

For the Utes, that played out on the court in a 92-71 win Thursday at Washington State. For the first time in Pac-12 play, the Utes smacked of the team who beat Duke; who scored more than 80 against San Diego State and BYU; who have crossed the century mark three times this season.

After a string of four games under 60 points, Utah's highest-scoring conference game in the Pac-12 era was a breakout performance that sophomore center Jakob Poeltl attributed to more straightforward offensive execution.

"Sometimes we're over-thinking stuff," he said. "We're trying to get into plays at certain times: Run one play, execute it well, get a good shot off for it and don't over-pass it. That's the kind of stuff we've been doing better lately."

But Washington, out to a 5-1 start in the Pac-12, is poised to test Utah's newfound rhythm on Sunday.

The Huskies have won with a quick-paced, high-scoring attack: They lead the league in points per game, and they have the second-fastest offense (13.5 seconds per possession) in the nation. Offensively, their athleticism and variety of scoring threats — led by the conference's leading scorer, Andrew Andrews, with 22 points per game — gives them a similar profile to Oregon, the team that walloped Utah at home by 18 points last week.

Also similar to Oregon, Washington has a stable of strong shot-blockers that comprise one of the country's toughest lanes to score in, led by JUCO newcomer Malik Dime. The Huskies register a block on 15.8 percent of possessions, No. 4 nationally, and Colorado found itself rejected a whopping 15 times early in the week.

"You've got to play smart against those kinds of defenses," Poeltl said. "You gotta be slow, poised, not let them speed you up, and work the defense like we do in practice."

It's one thing to say it, but another to do it. Utah's regular season finale last year was a forgettable loss to then-struggling UW, a 77-68 downer into the Pac-12 tournament. Washington has changed almost completely since then, save Andrews, and Lorenzo Romar has coaxed a top-10 signing class into a league contender. While they stumbled in a big way at Arizona last week, who hasn't?

One of the things that makes them tough defensively that hasn't changed, Krystkowiak said, is the team's athleticism. The Huskies can switch on defense and still hang with just about anyone.

If Utah does have an advantage, it might be experience. Andrews is the only senior on the team, and at least six newcomers play significant roles. Letdowns led to home losses against UC Santa Barbara and Oakland during non-conference play.

The Utes hope their own experience through their own struggles will help them avoid a letdown themselves on Sunday. Krystkowiak talked about the win over Washington State signaling a "turning point" for his team — he hopes they prove him right.

"To me, it's the same mindset moving forward: You try to learn from your mistakes," he said. "You try to put it together at the right time of year. Hopefully we can start doing that."

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Utah at Washington

P At Alaska Airlines Arena, Seattle, Wash.

Tipoff • 6:30 p.m. MST

TV • ESPNU

Radio • 700 AM

Records • Utah 14-5, 2-3; UW 13-5, 5-1

Series history • Tied at 9-9

Last meeting • UW 77, Utah 68 (March 7, 2015)

About the Huskies • Washington leads the nation with 7.3 blocks per game, and junior Malik Dime is second in the Pac-12 with 3 swats per game. … With 22 points per game, senior guard Andrew Andrews leads the Pac-12 and is the No. 13 scorer in the nation. … KenPom.com ranks Washington as the second-fastest offense in the country with an average possession length of 13.5 seconds per game.

About the Utes • With 92 points against Washington State on Thursday, Utah scored its most points ever in a conference game since joining the Pac-12, breaking a record (86) it set last year against the Cougars. … With 22 points against WSU, Jordan Loveridge enjoyed his 75th career game finishing with double-digit points. … Utah's 3-point defense has been a weak point this year: The Utes are allowing opponents to shoot 39.8 percent from behind the arc, No. 336 nationally.