CARROLLTON, Texas – On a day in which the scoring average went up nearly a full stroke from the opening round, Paul Gonzalez continued to lead the UT Arlington men's golf team as the Mavericks completed the 2nd round Sunday at North Texas's inaugural Maridoe Intercollegiate at Maridoe Golf Club.
 
Twelve of the field's 14 teams shot a higher 2nd-round score from their 1st round, and UTA recorded a 313 total to find itself in 12th place with a 614 total entering Monday's final round. SMU (575) leads the tournament after a 2nd-round 288, and the Mustangs are 10 shots clear of 2nd-place UNT (585).
 
Gonzalez – who was in a share of the overnight lead following a 1st-round, career-best 68 – remains in the top 5, but is tied for 4th (144) following a 76 on Sunday. Despite his 4-over total, the sophomore is only four shots behind tournament leader Phillip Knowles from North Florida, who is even par for the event (140) following a 3-under 67 – the only sub-par round of the day.
 
After making six birdies in the opening round, Gonzalez managed just one on Sunday – that coming on the par-4, 475-yard 9th – as he got off to an inauspicious start with a double bogey on the 3rd and a triple bogey on the 6th, but settled down and only played the final 12 holes at 1-over par.
 
While Gonzalez's 76 led the Mavericks' lineup for the second-straight day, he was one of only two UTA members who broke 80 during the 2nd round. The other was freshman Zakary Smith, who signed for a 77 and has a 159 total through the first two rounds.
 
Kyle Cox and Caleb Hicks – the other two freshmen in UTA's young lineup this weekend – both have 157 totals through 36 holes following Cox's 82 and Hicks's 80 on Sunday. Tanner Gore – the lone senior in the lineup this week – has a 161 total after an 80 in the 2nd round.
 
Final-round action will take place on Monday. Live scoring and pairings will be available via Golfstat by clicking here or by visiting the link accompanying this release. Additionally, updates will be posted on the official Twitter account of the program @UTAMavsGolf.
 
Following action on Monday, the Mavs will have a week break from competitive action – their only week off in a five-week stretch – before returning to the course at the Little Rock Invitational Oct. 22-23.