George Jones IV (jr) told The Sojourn on Thursday that he will miss the remainder of the men’s basketball season with a torn right Achilles tendon. The Indiana Wesleyan University guard had been enjoying a stellar season before going down with the injury in the second half of IWU’s 72-70 Tuesday win over Saint Francis.

The win was the Wildcats’ fifth in a row, moving the team into a tie for first place in the MCC with No. 5-ranked Grace College. Three games remain on IWU’s schedule before the MCC Tournament begins Feb. 22.

“George has been obviously a significant piece,” Wildcats coach Greg Tonagel said Wednesday, before learning the extent of the injury. “What it means is we need somebody else to step up until George is back. I think that’s what makes a team special is when the next guy up is ready and we’ve got guys that are ready and they’re going to get their opportunity.”

Jones said he will have surgery next week and wear a boot for six weeks

Serving others occurs both on the main stage and behind the scenes. One Indiana Wesleyan University student does this through two of her passions: basketball and worship.

Jordan Brown (sr) played high school basketball in Bettendorf, Iowa, earning the position of  varsity captain her senior year. Coming to IWU as a psychology major with a worship minor, Brown said she knew playing basketball for the Wildcats wasn’t likely; she didn’t even think about the possibility. But she did get a chance.

“I was shooting outside one day, and Ashley Brooks [sr] and then another player who graduated a couple of years ago saw me, and they were like, ‘hey, you should try out for the team or try to be on our practice team,’” Brown said.

After conditioning with the team for a month, Brown thought she had a spot on the roster, but things turned out differently.

“I was actually really disappointed because when [coach Steve Brooks] called me into his office at the end of conditioning, I thought he was going to tell me ‘Sorry, it’s over,’” Brown said. “But he was like, ‘I appreciate your hard work and how you stuck with it, so if you want to be our manager, you can still hang around.’ That’s how Coach is. He hates it when people don’t get to be involved. He’s got a soft spot for people.”

About that time, Brown said she wanted to start with IWU’s praise and worship team. She taught herself how to play guitar as a freshman in high school when she and her family were serving as missionaries in the Philippines. After multiple years of experience in worship during high school, she thought leading worship at IWU would be easy.

“I came to Indiana Wesleyan with false expectations. I thought I was going to get involved right away. There’s going to be tons of opportunities, like I’ll play all the time. And that definitely wasn’t the case,” Brown said. “For me, it was kind of God being like, ‘No, you are not ready yet. You think you’re ready, but you’re not.’”

But as the years passed, many of Brown’s duties as team manager and opportunities as a worship leader grew.

As a team manager, she started filming away games and washing laundry. This grew into the head manager position by her junior year, keeping track of the shot chart and assisting with team devotions.

“She really cares about people and has a real passion for serving people, especially on our team,” Wildcats center Krystal Stoneking (sr) said. “If something’s missing, she is willing to go find it or get something for us if we need it. She’s very selfless and it shows every day.”

As a worship leader, Brown started by playing for student-led events off-campus as well as singing once in chapel. After a summer worship internship in 2011, she said this school year “blew up,” as she had the opportunity to play at Summit for the first time.

“She’s strong enough as a leader to be able to take authority for her [worship] team, make decisions, lead others, but she’s also very receptive to the encouragement and guidance of the dean of the chapel’s office, those on campus that she has to work with,” said Pat Hannon, assistant dean of the chapel. “Her overall commitment to our campus as a whole really is reflective in the attitude in the way she does everything.”

Brown said that leading worship and managing the basketball team taught her how to be a better servant for others. She said she appreciates the balance between her two passions.

“There’s a lot of stuff that goes on when it comes to leading music and leading worship that doesn’t get seen. The ministry to your bandmates and the prayer that goes behind it is unreal,” Brown said. “Nobody sees that, and that is completely fine. I’ve learned that because of basketball. You don’t need to be thanked, you don’t need to be praised for everything.”

If ever the Indiana Wesleyan University men’s basketball team needed a win, it was Tuesday night. Grace College stormed into the Wildcats’ lair as the fourth-ranked team in the NAIA. But there was a black hole waiting in the Luckey Arena stands, and the Lancers would not come out unscathed. The Wildcats rode an early lead to a huge 82-74 victory.

“I think that was the most excitement I’ve seen from the fans in a while,” guard George Jones IV (jr) said after the game. “It was really intense the whole 40 minutes, it was nuts. I just had a lot of fun.”

It was blackout night in Luckey, and IWU fans showed up in hordes to cheer on a Wildcat team that has been struggling of late. According to Jones, the buzz brought back some of the fun that might have been missing from the team’s play.

“That was fun basketball and I like that,” Jones said. “We’ll be definitely playing like that for the remainder of the season.”

Jones had a career day, shooting a perfect seven-of-seven from the field, scoring 16 points and hauling in seven rebounds. Jordan Weidner (so) added 16 points of his own while Patrick Hopkins (jr) scored 12. Even D.J. Bettinger (fr) made waves in the win, scoring nine points on a trio of three-pointers.

Bettinger’s point total was the same as his last four games combined, and Wildcats coach Greg Tonagel said the freshman takes advantage of the time he gets on the court.

“D.J. is one of the hardest workers,” Tonagel said. “You’ll find him in the gym late at night or in the morning. When you do that, you get the opportunity to make the most of it, and I think he makes the most of his opportunity.”

The Wildcats’ team has an opportunity to turn its season around starting with this pivotal win. That’s a chance Jones says he plans to make the most of.

“I think it gave a lot of guys confidence that we kind of lost as of late,” Jones said. “We’re going to just take it as a steppingstone to get better. We know how good we can be, so we’re just going to keep getting better.”

IWU is back in action on Saturday, Jan. 28 when Mt. Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) comes to Luckey to take on the revitalized Wildcats.

Behind the quiet persona of this senior athlete lies a strong leader. She is making an impact on and off of the court, all while maintaining a humble demeanor. Krystal Stoneking (sr) is that leader.

The Newark, Ohio native developed a talent for basketball at a young age and began to translate that talent into a passion during her early years of high school. After playing ball throughout high school, she developed as an athlete and Indiana Wesleyan University took notice, recruiting her to play for the Wildcats. Even then, head coach Steve Brooks saw her talent as a potential key role for the team’s future.

“She’s played at a high level from day one,” Brooks said. “I think she’s come in, she’s been incredibly motivated. Teams are setting up to stop her and she’s still finding ways to help our team, whether it’s through her rebounding, through scoring or defending. She’s finding ways to help the team win games.”

Stoneking has improved each year on the court.  Freshman year, she averaged 4.9 points per game and 6.2 as a sophomore, but kept working.

In her third season, Stoneking averaged 12.3 points and now, two-thirds into her final year, that number is up to 17.7.

According to some of her teammates, Stoneking’s statistics have improved because of her dedication in the hardest time for some athletes to find motivation: the offseason. Working behind the scenes has become a secret advantage for Stoneking’s success.

But the most noticeable trait about her might be her humility amid success. In her Wildcat career, Stoneking has scored more than 1,000 points, collected more than 500 rebounds and is currently ranked third highest in the NCCAA Division II in field goal percentage (61 percent).

Along with her impressive statistics, Stoneking’s selfless attitude has made an impact on the team.

Wildcats team manager, Jordan Brown (sr), echoed this idea.

“She’s not about herself,” Brown said. “She couldn’t care less about her. It blows me away. She really is a servant on the team. It doesn’t matter if [Brooks] sees it or if anybody else sees it, it shows in her game.”

The leadership that is influenced by coach Brooks and carried out through the team comes from on and off the court. Off the court, Stoneking has formed strong friendships with her teammates.

“Everyone just gels really well,” Stoneking said. “We’re all just kind of close and it’s fun; I love it.”

Along with the encouragement of her teammates, Stoneking was also impacted by Leah Whittaker. The Wildcats’ teammate lived by Deuteronomy 31:6, the “be strong and courageous” verse that is now well known throughout IWU athletics and the university as a whole.

Stoneking uses that same verse as a life goal to pursue. The friendship she had inspires Stoneking to do the best she can for her team and make the Wildcats better.

“She’s been that type of person … that builds that bond as a team that you really want,” said Brooks.