What you need to know:
* Georgia State shot its lowest round of the year, an 8-under 280, to move into first-place at the Furman Intercollegiate.
* Junior J.J. Grey tied the lowest round by a Panther this year with a 6-under 66 to move into second-place with 18 holes to play, just one stroke off the lead.
* Georgia State is looking to win its second-straight Furman Intercollegiate after sharing the title with Virginia Tech last season.
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Led by junior J.J. Grey's second round 6-under 66, Georgia State vaulted to the top of the leaderboard at the Furman Intercollegiate on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers entered the week as the defending champions and have a five-stroke lead with 18 holes to play on Sunday.
The Panthers 8-under par, 280 is their lowest round of the year and was by far the best round of the tournament on Saturday as no other team broke par. Georgia State is now 6-under thru 36 holes following a 2-over 290 on Friday.
Grey made five birdies and an eagle to tie for the lowest round by a Panther this year. He is 7-under par and just one stroke off the individual lead entering Sunday. He won the Southern Intercollegiate just two weeks ago and is looking for his second title of the season.
“That was by far our best round of golf this season,” head coach Joe Inman said. “Everyone played smart golf and took advantage of great conditions. When they could attack the holes they did and it resulted in a lot of birdies. When they needed to play it safe, they were able to do that as well. I am really proud of the way they played.”
Georgia State's starting five combined for 20 birdies and an eagle on Saturday.
Senior Davin White was right on the heels of his teammate with a second round 4-under 68 that moved him into fourth at 4-under par. White made seven birdies on the day.
Senior Damon Stephenson added an even par 72 with four birdies and stands at 2-over for the tournament and tied for 27th.
Sophomore Nathan Mallonee and freshman Max Herrmann each shot 2-over 74's on Saturday. Mallonee enters the final round at 5-over par and tied for 48th, while Herrmann is 3-over and tied for 39th.
Alexander Herrmann, competing as an individual, shot even par on Saturday and is tied for seventh at 1-under. Senior Gus Wagoner and freshman Hayden Poole also competed as individuals, each shooting 74 on Saturday. Wagoner is tied for 54th at 6-over, while Poole is 16-over and tied for 104th.
Georgia State leads USC Aiken by five strokes as the Pacers are at 1-under. No. 46 Troy is third at 2-over, followed by Jacksonville in fourth at 4-over. Western Carolina rounded out the top five at 6-over par.
Western Carolina's J.T. Poston, ranked No. 36 by GolfStat, leads Grey by one stroke at 8-under par. Temple's Brandon Matthews is third at 6-under, followed by White at 4-under. Troy's Luke Moser rounds out the top five at 3-under par.
The teams will return to the course for the final round on Sunday with a 10:30 a.m. ET shotgun start. Live scoring can be found at GolfStat.com.
Following the event, Georgia State will return for its final regular-season event, the Irish Creek Intercollegiate, hosted by Davidson and Charlotte, April 11-12.
