Riley Ward doesn鈥檛 believe in luck.

In fact, he pushes the limits of bad luck.

With his school team in 91原创, Ward sports the No. 13 jersey. In part as a tribute to Steve Nash, but also because the superstitious among us believe it to bring misfortune.

While Ward has to sport No. 7 with the Fraser Valley boys 5-on-5 basketball team at the , his philosophy isn鈥檛 any different.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think luck is a thing,鈥� he said following a crushing win by Fraser Valley over Kootenays at Duncan鈥檚 Quamichan School gym. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think anything can be a fluke. It鈥檚 all about how much you practice.鈥�

Ward follows up on that concept by putting in hours in the gym 鈥� getting to school at 7 a.m. to practice basketball. That hard work pays off when it really counts.

鈥淎ll the shots I hit in a game are shots I hit in the gym,鈥� Ward said.

The point guard鈥檚 commitment is shared by his Fraser Valley teammates.

鈥淥ur team is really hard-working,鈥� Ward said. 鈥淓ven in the last minute, we never give up.鈥�

About to begin Grade 9 at Brookswood Secondary, Ward has been playing basketball since Grade 3, and wants to go as far as possible.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to ever give up,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y goal right now is to play in the NCAA, and we鈥檒l see from there.鈥�

This is Ward鈥檚 second trip to the BC Games after playing 3-on-3 in Abbotsford in 2016. His team finished eighth out of 11 in that tournament, but the expectations are much higher this time.

鈥淲e鈥檙e playing 110 percent try to get gold,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e really want to bring that home.鈥�

Regardless of the result, the BC Games experience is something Ward treasures.

鈥淚 love it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an amazing environment. It gets better and better.鈥�

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