CHAMPAIGN—Robbie Hummel scored 19 points and three other Boilermakers scored in double figures Wednesday night, helping Purdue hold off struggling Illinois 67-62.Lewis Jackson and D.J. Byrd added 13 points each and Terone Johnson scored 12 for Purdue (17-9, 7-6 Big Ten).The Illini (16-10, 5-8) repeatedly closed to within two over the game’s final 10 minutes. But the Boilermakers found a way to climb away every time.The last came on Hummel’s free throw with 19.5 seconds to play that put the Boilers up 65-62. With Illinois forced to foul, Hummel then sank two more.Freshman Tracy Abrams led Illinois with a career-high 22 points. Brandon Paul added 19 points.Illinois has lost seven of eight while Purdue has won two straight to stay in the top half of the Big Ten.

Coach Bruce Weber had an uncharacteristic ‘melt down’ during his post game new conference.”Instead of creating toughness and developing a team, I coach not to lose all year, and that’s really sad,” Weber said.Paul committed four turnovers, missed a three-point attempt with nine seconds to play for Illinois.

“I don’t know what he was thinking, to be honest,” Weber said. “D.J. [Richardson] was going to screen the inbounder, and Brandon didn’t have the shot. Obviously, he made a bad decision.”

Meyers Leonard had 12 rebounds and scored nine points. Leonard, who has been in foul trouble lately, played with three fouls for most of the second half.

‘‘He was an animal in the second half,” Weber said. “[But] Meyers can’t have horrible body language. In the first half, he walked around like this is our desperate game. It can’t happen. He’s got to change.”

Weber sounded like a Coach who already feels he will not be retained after this season.