Vianca Tejada has drive, attitude.

Vianca Tejada has an attitude, make no bones about it. And according to those who know her on the basketball court, it's that attitude that separates the Cherry Hill East senior from the rest of South Jersey's top basketball players.

Just don't mistake Tejada's attitude as a negative.

"I'm driven by the fact that I hate losing," said Tejada, who boasts a 14.8 scoring average for the 13-4 Cougars. "I'll do anything it takes to win. I have to win. Nothing else matters."

Tejada's on-court attitude radiates positive undertones. The 5-foot-9 guard is self-assured, carrying her chin high, her eyes focused on the task at hand. She's quick to pick up a teammate, even quicker to stand up for herself.

Just don't cross her.

"If you push her, she's going to push back twice as hard, because she's just so competitive and determined," Cherry Hill East coach Kim Keyack said. "It's no secret, she has a little edge to her game. She can be tough, and what puts her over the top as a basketball player is her attitude."

Tejada's fierce drive has rubbed off on the Cougars, a roster made up mostly of underclassmen. East starts three sophomores - Kim Regan, Kyra Holiday and Genevieve Boisvert. More youngsters come off the bench and play key minutes.

Despite being left out of the preseason contender talk, Cherry Hill East has played with South Jersey's best teams. Competing in one of the top conferences in the state, the Cougars have a 3-3 record in the Olympic American, just a game behind leaders Washington Township, Cherokee and Eastern.

Tejada has been the driving force.

"Vee is just amazing to play with, and she's the one who has gotten us where we are today," Regan said. "We know we can ask her anything and she'll help us with our game or how to prepare for another team."

In Cherry Hill East's biggest games, in its biggest victories, Tejada has been the catalyst. Tejada's 25 points sparked a 74-64 win over Eastern on Jan. 17. A week later, she poured in 25 more points, including five three-pointers, in a 49-45 defeat of Cherokee.

Those wins put the Cougars back on the South Jersey basketball map.

"It took us a little while to get a feel for one another, and I think a lot of people forgot about us," said Tejada, whose sisters, Vania (a 1,000-point scorer at Cherokee) and Vashty, were basketball players. "It was really aggravating that no one talked about us. But now we're starting to gain some attention."

Tejada thinks she actually became more comfortable when she notched her 1,000th career point Jan. 5 against Gloucester Catholic. She did it in style, posting a season-best 28 points. With a letter of intent to play Division I basketball at St. Francis College in Brooklyn signed, all the pressure was off, she said.

"I can just play basketball and do what I love," Tejada said. "I just have to worry about my team and getting us to the playoffs and winning a championship."

East qualified for the South Jersey Group 4 tournament in a bracket that features Absegami and Williamstown, along with conference foes Washington Township, Eastern, Cherokee and Lenape. The Cougars should be at home to start the playoffs Feb. 25.

Teammates and opponents know Cherry Hill East will go as far as Tejada can take it.

"Vianca is so versatile, in that she's got good size, so she can post up if she has a mismatch, but she also is quick off the dribble and can get to the basket. Plus, she can shoot the three," said Washington Township coach Jenn Natale, whose team held Tejada to six and seven points, respectively, in two wins over the Cougars earlier this season. "Against a girl like her, you have to keep throwing defenders at her and hope she gets tired out. That doesn't happen often."

A more mature Tejada has learned she can't try to do everything herself. And now that she has confidence in her teammates, she doesn't feel the need to be the hero all the time.

"I realize my teammates can contribute, whereas last year I tried to do it all myself," Tejada said. "I love having the ball in my hands, but I know I can give it up and we can still be successful."

Sounds like the attitude of a winner.