CAMPBELL -- Sitting on the bench to start the fourth quarter with The Rayen School girls basketball

CAMPBELL -- Sitting on the bench to start the fourth quarter with The Rayen School girls basketball team leading Campbell Memorial 61-21, Taniesha Holland wasn't satisfied.
The great players never are.
The senior guard put on another sparking performance, scoring 25 points and making 11 steals in just three quarters of work, as the Tigers routed the Red Devils 72-28 Thursday night.
"I was real mad," said Holland, when asked about not playing in the fourth quarter. "I just like playing and scoring and helping my team win. But we were ahead and they did great without me in there."
Holland, a Division I college recruit, has waited three years to shine brighter than any other player in the Mahoning Valley.
First there was Amber (Bland), then there was Courtney (Davidson).
But now, Holland is starting to assert herself, and people are starting to take notice.
All-around game
"I told her this is her year," said Rayen coach Holly Seimetz. "She's been a great player the last three years but hasn't gotten the recognition for it. This year, I expect her to get noticed as she leads this team."
As defending Division III state champion Ursuline found out last Saturday, Holland is anything but one-dimensional. She can run the floor, shoot outside and deliver the perfect pass to a teammate. Her defense, as evidenced by her 11 steals against Campbell, isn't bad either.
"She's an all-around athlete," said Seimetz.
"She gets so many of her points off her defense. Her court awareness is her best asset and she isn't afraid to give the ball to her teammates."
Against Campbell (2-3), Holland did a little of everything. She scored 19 points in the first half, as Rayen quickly took control. The Tigers pounced out to a 10-2 lead to begin the contest and never looked back.
Taylor steps up
But it wasn't just Holland. The Tigers defense was in top form, forcing 41 Campbell turnovers, including 22 in the opening half. Those opportunities translated into a 37-16 advantage at halftime.
With Holland playing sparingly after intermission, freshman Brittany Taylor took control. The guard scored a game-high 26 points, including 20 in the second half.
Rhonda Neal added eight points, while Courtney Revere tallied seven.
"We got out to a big lead and were able to use some of our younger girls tonight," said Seimetz. "Coach [Stacie] Cepin runs a good program and will have them playing well. They are down a little bit, but she'll get things going."
Right now, Rayen has things going really well.
The Tigers improved to 5-1 and are playing with tons of confidence.
A victory over the defending state champs will do that for a team.
"That was a huge win for our program," said Seimetz. "It helped the girls understand what we can do when we play as a team. We need to maintain this momentum through some easier games because we'll have some tough ones later."
Holland knows the road will be tough, but she has one goal in mind.
"I want us to go to state," she said. "We're a way better team this year than last year. I don't care how many points I score as long as we win."