Hononegah junior Mario Donaldson didn’t have to look far to find a role model as a young player.

His own father — Mario Donaldson Sr. — played professional basketball for the Rockford Lightning when Mario was growing up.

“I know he’s helped me out a lot,” Donaldson Jr. said. “He’s always giving me tips, and he’s always been there for me. I’m really proud of him, and I’ve always tried to follow his lead.”

But Friday it was the son who made the father proud, as Donaldson scored 16 points to help lead Hononegah to a 57-48 victory against Jefferson.

Donaldson, a 6-foot starting guard, scored 10 of Hononegah’s 15 points in its 15-0 run in the second quarter and added four more in the game-deciding fourth.

“Mario really gave us a lift in the second quarter,” Hononegah coach Mike Miller said. “I thought their defensive pressure hurt us early, and we were playing at their tempo. But Mario really got us started and calmed us down. He made some big shots tonight.”

Jefferson led 8-6 heading into the second. Donaldson caught fire with two 3-pointers, a layup and a pair of free throws in Hononegah’s 15-0 run to start the second, and Hononegah took the largest lead of the game (21-8) with 4:03 left in the first half.

Jefferson, which closed the first half going 6 for 6 at the free-throw line to cut Hononegah’s halftime lead to 26-19, made its big run in the third quarter. Hononegah committed 10 turnovers, and Jefferson regained a six-point lead with a 16-0 run.

The Indians finished the third with a steal and layup by Donaldson and a layup by Chase Robinson, and Jefferson led 37-35. Hononegah took the lead for good on a Donaldson layup with 5:22 left in the game, and the Indians went 14 for 16 at the foul line in the fourth to seal the win.

“At the end of the third we had that 37-31 lead, and we had some guys in foul trouble, so we tried to hold the ball and go into the fourth with all our guys ready,” Jefferson coach Todd Brannan said. “Then when they scored at the end of the third, that kind of gave them the momentum.

“Hononegah is awfully good, and our kids played hard the whole game, but we just let them back in it at the end of the third.”

David Brown had 18 points and seven rebounds for Hononegah. Chris King led Jefferson with 13 points.

The win avenged Hononegah’s NIC-10 opening loss to the J-Hawks in December. With Harlem beating Auburn also on Friday, the Indians took over sole possession of first place.

-Emily Tropp, rrstar.com