RAPID CITY - Rapid City Central took Amy Sykora's best shot and kept the Cobblers' basketball superiority this season over the cross-town rival Stevens Raiders intact.

Sykora, a senior guard from Stevens, scored a game-high 20 points, including five 3-pointers. But the Cobblers got a typically strong team effort and some big free throws down the stretch from Jacqee Jasinski to complete Central's regular-season sweep of the Raiders in both boys' and girls' basketball with a 57-50 Greater Dakota Conference girls win on Tuesday at Naasz Gymnasium.

"It was a good, tight ballgame that prepares you for what things are going to be like in the district tournament," Central head coach Kraig Blomme said.

"It was a good win for our girls."

The game looked a little like the two teams' first meeting, a 62-57 Central win at Carold Heier Gymnasium on Jan. 21. The Raiders struggled in the second quarter of both games, and on Tuesday fell behind 30-20 heading into the half, despite four triples from Sykora in the opening 16 minutes.

"We were trying to stick tight to her but she had a great game," Blomme said. "She really shot quick coming off those screens and you just have to tip your hat to her. She shot the ball really well."

The Raiders slugged their way back into the game in the second half, as sophomore Justine Blade registered the bulk of her 12 points and 10 rebounds in the half. The Raiders tied the game at 49-49 on a nifty left-handed shot on the block from Blade with 2:20 to play.

"She played a great game, both offensively and defensively," Stevens head coach Michele Klapprodt said of Blade, who also registered two blocked shots. "I thought our whole team played well, but we had a few letdowns offensively, a few turnovers."

The Raiders turned the ball over 24 times, compared to Central's 12.

Jasinski headed to the free-throw line for her first big attempts with 1:39 remaining. She knocked them both down to make it 51-49, and hit two more after Stevens' Lindsey Schmidt made 1-of-2 free tosses to make it

53-50 with 42 seconds remaining.

The Raiders got a couple of looks at a tie, but Sykora couldn't get either to fall and Jasinski drilled two more free throws to essentially end the game. Betsy Moler had a lay-up as time expired for the final margin.

Both coaches felt the intensity and atmosphere of the game would serve their teams well heading into the postseason.

"This is a great game to get us prepared for districts," Blomme said. "We'll probably see Stevens again in districts, and it's going to be another good game both ways."

Despite the loss, Klapprodt saw some positives, too.

"My thought is that at this point in the season we're playing very good basketball," Klapprodt said. "And we're going to continue to get better every game."

Neither team shot particularly well - Stevens went 36.7 percent from the floor and Central 31 percent - but the difference in the game came at the free-throw line, where the Cobblers went 15-for-19, opposed to the Raiders' 8-for-12.

The Cobblers once again had a balanced scoring effort, as Lacey Lehman scored 13 points and Jasinski and Kattie Ranta added 11 apiece. Alesha Gillespie added nine and Moler seven for Central (13-6, 8-3 GDC).

The Cobblers play at Spearfish on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

Stevens (2-17, 1-10) play at Sturgis on Thursday, also at 7:30 p.m.