ST. GEORGE, Utah – Nate Deziel backed up an opening round of 66 with a 68 Saturday at the Pizza Hut Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational at the Sunbrook Golf Course, closing day two with a two-shot lead in the individual competition.
 
Deziel, who is golfing as an individual for the Bison dropped four shots on the day to sit at -10 for the event, two strokes in front of three individuals, including Sacramento State's Ethan Davidson, who held the lead on day by one shot.
 
Deziel started with three pars and a bogey, but turned his day around with three birdies over the next five holes, followed up by two more birdies in the final four holes of the afternoon.
 
Brock Winter matched Deziel on the afternoon, also firing a round of 68. Winter had an eagle and a team best six birdies on the day, but also carded four bogeys in his round. Winter's 68 moved him up the leaderboard into a tie for 29^th overall at +1.
 
Ian Simonich sits second overall for the Bison at -1 after a 74 on Saturday. Simonich is tied for 17^th after a round that included three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey.
 
Jack Johnson cared the other eagle for the Bison on the day as he shot his second-straight round of 73 to sit at +2 and in a tie for 34^th overall in the 92-golfer field.
 
The Bison sit eighth overall in a 14-team field. NDSU is +6 for the event.
 
North Dakota State is slated to return to the course on Sunday for the final round at 9:30 a.m. MT.