Braden River’s running game delivers in spring rout

Hodor! The popular HBO television series “Game of Thrones” completed the back story to one of its characters in pushing the story forward. And here at Numbers Game, we’re pushing through the spring into summer as spring football games inch toward the finish line this Friday.

We’re also dicing up the important digits concerning the Tampa Bay Lightning, some spring football action and Lakewood Ranch High’s girls basketball program.

There’s more, too. And away we go.

263

Braden River’s rushing yards on 32 carries (an 8.22 average yards per carry) in last Thursday’s 37-6 spring game victory at St. Petersburg Lakewood. Starting tailback DeShaun Fenwick piled up 93 rushing yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns, before rising sophomore Knowledge McDaniel was given a chance to shine in the second half. McDaniel finished with a whopping 12.14 yards per carry average after compiling 170 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown run that closed out the third quarter.

.733

The Lightning’s winning percentage in road overtime playoff games after a 4-3 victory on Sunday in Pittsburgh over the Penguins gave the Bolts a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals. That road OT playoff mark, which stands at 11-4, is the best among any current NHL team. Tyler Johnson’s winning goal in Game 5 also gave him 20 playoff goals in the last two seasons, which is one shy of teammate Nikita Kucherov’s league-leading 21. A home victory Tuesday at the Amalie Arena sends the Bolts four wins shy of hoisting the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2004.

30,000

Estimated dollar amount in fines that Lakewood Ranch’s girls basketball program was hit with last Thursday, due to the Florida High School Athletic Association’s sanctions concerning the Mustangs conducting illegal practices. Most of the money, though, is held in abeyance until June 1, 2017 — also the time when the school is on administrative probation until — provided there aren’t any future violations during the time frame.

28

Copa del Rey titles for Barcelona after the Blaugrana defeated Sevilla 2-0 after extra time in the Spanish Cup final this past weekend. The victory also gave Barca its second double (La Liga and Copa del Rey titles) in as many seasons. It was the third time in Spanish soccer history that a club captured both the league and cup titles in the same season in back-to-back years. The last time was Barcelona pulling off the feat in 1952 and 1953, while Athletic Bilbao accomplished it in 1930 and 1931. Barca star Lionel Messi captured his 30th career title after a pinpoint ball to Jordi Alba, who scored his first goal of the season to lock up the Copa del Rey for a second straight year for Barca.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Braden River’s running game delivers in spring rout."