Illini not deflated by loss at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — There comes a time in everyone's March when the next loss serves as the last one.

Illinois didn't reach that threshold with its 75-67 Big Ten defeat Tuesday night at No. 6 Purdue.

In fact, the Illini believe they moved in the opposite direction.

Despite squandering a 13-point lead by halftime — then wasting three possessions to get closer than 3 points in the final four minutes — the Illini shuffled out of Mackey Arena thinking they can put off that last loss for a long time.

“It feels like the beginning of the year,” said senior point guard Demetri McCamey, whose second foul with 7:48 left in the first half set Illinois' problems into motion. “Everybody moving, cutting, sharing the basketball. We feel like a team again.”

Seniors JaJuan Johnson (23 points) and E'Twaun Moore (18 points) combined for 23 second-half points in their final home game to guide Purdue (25-5, 14-3) to its seventh win in a row.

McCamey led Illinois with 18 points, while senior forward Mike Davis (12 points, 10 rebounds) posted his 29th career double-double.

“We've got to keep fighting, keep believing and keep knowing that we can play with these teams,” Davis said. “We played with the No. 6 team in the country. We could have beat them. We're right there.”

Illinois (18-12, 8-9) was more than there during the first 12 minutes.

Mixing some new offensive sets with some remarkable shooting, the Illini took a 31-18 lead on McCamey's 17-footer with 8:04 left in the first.

Suddenly Purdue's Senior Night festivities — as well as the team's perfect home record — were in jeopardy. At that juncture, Illinois was shooting 13 of 17 from the floor as McCamey (7 points, 2 assists) controlled the flow.

But on Purdue's next possession, McCamey reached in to pick up his second foul.

“Very disappointed that Demetri got 2 cheap fouls,” Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “There's a foul on every possession, and it's really disappointing that he has to sit. When he went out, that was a big difference in the game.”

McCamey spent the last 7:48 of the first half on the bench — and Illinois spent its lead.

Purdue reeled off 4 consecutive 3-pointers in a three-minute stretch to pull within 1 and incite the sellout crowd. Illinois recovered to regain a 5-point lead, but a Crandall Head turnover and Moore 3-pointer allowed Purdue to pull into a 37-37 halftime knot.

Throughout Purdue's run, Weber withstood the urge to put McCamey back on the floor. He played the entire second half without picking up his third foul.

“The thing (is), we've got enough guys that played a lot of minutes beside Crandall,” Weber said. “You've got to have poise.”

Illinois never regained the lead but never got knocked out until Moore's 25-footer at the shot-clock buzzer with 52 seconds left.

The Illini kept hanging within a possession or two but couldn't get over the top.

During a crucial stretch down 67-64, McCamey got caught in the air and turned over the ball. Then he missed a long 3-pointer. Then 7-foot-1 Mike Tisdale had layups blocked by JaJuan Johnson and D.J. Byrd.

“Tisdale has two layups,” Weber said. “Don't get a foul. I guess it's a good block, you know.

“It's sad, because we played hard and I thought we deserved to win it. But we didn't and they're a very, very good team.”