DES MOINES - Monday, the Ellerbroek brothers bullied another opponent.

And, in doing so, the twins propelled their NU High Panthers into the state semifinals.

The 6-foot-4 senior brothers combined for 33 points, as NU High blasted second-ranked Bedford, 58-38, in the opening round of the Class 1A state tournament.

"We were really mixing up what we were doing offensively," said Nick Ellerbroek, who paced the Panthers with 19 points and 12 rebounds. "We just really executed."

"We think we can play with anyone, so it's not a surprise," said first-year NU High coach Paul Elser

NU (18-8), which didn't lose to a single 1A team during the regular season, used an 11-1 second-quarter run to surge into the semis.

"We came out and we really weren't nervous," said Travis Ellerbroek after Monday's triumph.

Seventh-seeded NU now takes on HLV of Victor (25-1), which staved off Guthrie Center, 52-45, in the first round. That semifinal clash is set for Thursday at approximately noon.

Bedford (24-2), a southwest Iowa squad making its first trek to the state tournament, inched ahead early, before Travis Ellerbroek triggered an NU run. Travis drilled back-to-back 3-pointers late in the opening eight minutes, and the Panthers added a subsequent 9-0 scoring sprint to open the second quarter.

"They got more aggressive than us," sighed Bedford coach Kevin Blunt, whose Bulldogs shot 25 percent in the first half and were led by Andy Schweitzer's 15 total points.

Eventually, Elser's squad carried a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter, after 5-foot-7 freshman Kyle Denning rattled in a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 36-23.

The Panthers, in their school's sixth state tournament since 1989, played like seasoned vets down the stretch.

"In the second half, the difference was we got the ball inside and were able to convert," said NU's Elser.

"Nick (Ellerbroek) came through in the second half, and that really carried us."

With barely nine minutes remaining, Nick muscled in a post-up bucket despite getting fouled, then polished off a traditional 3-point play - one of three he had in Monday's second half - putting NU up, 33-21.

A 13-3 NU run soon followed.

The boys from Bedford had officially been rocked to sleep, and their crowd silenced.

For the Panthers, this state tournament showdown was one you could only contemplate in the midst of deep, R.E.M. sleep.

Elser's squad shot 52.2 percent in the second half. It outscored Bedford, 34-20, in the paint.

And, 14 total Panthers saw playing time.

This "upset" was startling in its totality.

"It's awesome," said Nick Ellerbroek. "We've been talking about and dreaming about this for a long time."

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com

TOURNEY TIDBITS: The Panthers' bench outscored Bedford, 17-4. … NU also enjoyed a sizeable advantage in another stat category: free throws. NU shot 75 percent from the charity stripe, sinking 12 of 16 attempts. … In Monday's 1A nightcap, HLV of Victor advanced despite nearly blowing a 23-point halftime lead. Bryce Hasley scored 16 to spur the Warriors … HLV could present the Panthers with matchup problems down low. While NU doesn't possess a single player taller than 6-4, the Warriors have two key players who stand 6-5, including 220-pound senior center Dylan Miller.

NU High Mn FG-A FT-A Rb As PF TP

N. Ellerbroek 29 7-14 5-6 12 5 3 19

T. Ellerbroek 26 4-9 3-4 14 2 3 14

B. Denning 26 2-7 0-0 1 1 1 4

J. Miller 17 2-7 0-0 2 0 0 4

B. Peterson 13 0-3 0-0 1 1 0 0

J. McKenna 23 2-4 0-0 2 1 1 4

D. Fagan 1 0-0 3-4 0 0 0 3

T. Cooke 1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0

E. Diemer 16 3-4 1-2 3 0 3 7

C. Holmes 1 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0

N. Smith 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

C. Ford 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

A. Jones 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

K. Denning 4 1-2 0-0 0 0 1 3

Team 0

Totals 160 21-51 12-16 28 10 12 58

Bedford Mn FG-A FT-A Rb As PF TP

T. Schweitzer 29 5-7 3-4 4 0 2 13

M. Wiederin 18 1-2 0-0 0 2 1 2

K. Lindenmeyer 19 0-2 0-0 2 1 2 0

A. Schweitzer 31 6-14 3-6 5 2 4 15

G. Ewart 31 1-8 2-2 10 1 2 4

N. Clark 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

D. Wall 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0

J. Sefrit 1 0-0 0-2 0 0 1 0

S. Streebin 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

Moore 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

A. Brown 1 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0

C. Lindenmeyer 26 2-4 0-0 2 0 2 4

L. Davison 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

R. Thornston 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

R. Maxson 1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0

Team 0

Totals 160 15-37 8-14 25 6 15 38

NU High 10 11 15 22 - 58

Bedford 11 1 11 15 - 38

3-point goals - NU High 4-11 (N. Ellerbroek 0-1, T. Ellerbroek 3-3, Miller 0-2, Peterson 0-3, K. Denning 1-2); Bedford 0-8 (K. Lindenmeyer 0-2, A. Schweitzer 0-5, Ewart 0-1). Blocked shots - NU High 2 (T. Ellerbroek, Diemer); Bedford 1 (A. Schweitzer 1). Turnovers - NU High 10 (T. Ellerbroek 4); Bedford 18 (T. Schweitzer 0-5). Steals - NU High 10 (N. Ellerbroek 3, T. Ellerbroek 3).

Officials - Marlowe Van Grinkel, Terry McMillen, Randy Tjaden.