Clock is ticking on Bruce Weber after Illinois' loss to Purdue

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Purdue’s D.J. Byrd guards Illinois’ Tracy Abrams, who scored a game-high 22 points, in the first half Wednesday. | Heather Coit~AP

Updated: March 17, 2012 10:26AM

CHAMPAIGN — Time is running out for Illinois, and coach Bruce Weber knows it.

“Instead of creating toughness and developing a team, I coach not to lose all year, and that’s really sad,” Weber said.

The Illini’s hopes of making the NCAA tournament and possibly saving Weber’s job took a big hit Wednesday with a 67-62 loss to Purdue at Assembly Hall.

Illinois (16-10, 5-8) has lost seven of its last eight games and four in a row. The Illini have not won since Jan. 31, when they beat No. 7 Michigan State 42-41 at Assembly Hall.

The Illini have five regular-season games left, three on the road — at Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin — before the Big Ten tournament March 8-11 in Indianapolis.

Robbie Hummel drove the nail into Illinois in the last four minutes and finished with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting and 11 rebounds.

Joseph Bertrand’s layup with 5:04 to play got Illinois to within 60-58. But Hummel answered with a jumper, and Purdue led by four.

Hummel was able to stave off Illinois’ threats two more times. Freshman Tracy Abrams (game- and career-high 22 points) made a jumper with 3:30 to play, and ­Illinois trailed 62-60. Hummel then made a jumper to give Purdue a 64-60 lead.

“It’s tough, but it’s part of the game,” Abrams said. “We have to get shutouts on defense to win games. It’s a constant fight, and we have to get tougher.”

Abrams countered again with 53 seconds to play, and his ­basket brought Illinois’ deficit back to two. But Hummel went 3-for-3 from the foul line in the last 19 seconds to slam the door on Illinois.

Brandon Paul, who scored 19 but 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.”

Purdue (17-9, 7-6), like Illinois, is struggling to put together a late run for a tournament bid.