HUMBLE, Texas – Jose Manuel Peralta fired a six-under-par 138 to lead Harding University into Tuesday's final round tied for third at the Houston Classic, as the Bisons posted a two-round total of 292-289—581 (+4) at the Golf Club of Houston's Tournament Course.

The tie for third with Missouri-St. Louis puts Harding in position for its best finish at the event heading into the final 18 holes, which begin Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. The Bisons trail leader Dallas Baptist by 16 shots but showed significant momentum with a 3-under second round after opening with a 7-over 292.

Peralta, a senior, sits in solo third place individually after consecutive rounds of 69, trailing tournament leader Bryant Hiskey II of Houston by five shots. Hiskey posted rounds of 64-67—131 to lead the field at 11-under par, while DBU's Samuel Jenkins is second at 9-under following a stellar 5-under 67 in the second round.

Peralta's performance has been highlighted by 10 birdies across two rounds, second-most in the field, against just four bogeys. He was particularly effective on the par 5s, averaging 4.50 strokes to rank tied for fourth in that category. His consistent ball-striking and strong play on par 3s, where he averaged 2.75 to tie for second, have him positioned for a strong finish on Tuesday.

DBU sits atop the team leaderboard at 12-under par (281-287—568), holding a 15-shot advantage over second-place Midwestern State. The nationally-ranked Eagles have four players in the top 15 individually and improved on their opening-round lead with a 5-under 287 in round two.

Harding's second-round surge of 3-under 289 was the third-best team score of the day and vaulted the Bisons from a tie for seventh into their current third-place tie. The improvement demonstrated the team's ability to respond after a challenging opening round.

Freshman Austin Bibb provided crucial support, climbing into a tie for 15th at 1-over par after firing a 1-under 71 in round two. Bibb bounced back from an opening 74 with eight birdies in the second round—tied for third-most in the tournament. His stellar play on the par 4s, where he averaged 3.90 strokes to rank fifth overall, has been a key component of Harding's turnaround.

Senior Dennis Staykov, who led the Bisons with a 70.21 stroke average in the fall, has struggled through two rounds but showed improvement late in the second round. After opening with a 6-over 78, Staykov responded with a 1-under 73 to sit tied for 34th at 5-over par heading into the final round.

Junior Jose Arzu sits tied for 41st at 6-over (74-76—150) while sophomore Conner Geist is tied for 53rd at 8-over (78-74—152). Both will look to contribute strong final rounds to help Harding's team position.

Third-ranked Central Oklahoma has struggled throughout the tournament and sits seventh at 12-over, while West Texas A&M (#11) is eighth at 18-over. 

Live scoring of Tuesday's final round will be available at scoreboard.clippd.com with Tuesday's action beginning at 7:30 a.m.