With 13:08 to play in Saturday’s 76-58 win against Purdue, Dee Brown broke down the court, easily escaping two trailing Boilermakers and launching a layup that gave the Illini a 19-point advantage and brought most – but not all – of the fans out of their seats.

Rich McBride drew hearty applause and little else as he hit a big three-pointer six minutes later, ending Purdue’s brief attempt at a comeback.

And when Jamar Smith dished to Brian Randle, whose feet kissed the court before he soared to the rim for a slam-dunk, perhaps 75 percent of the crowd took to its feet.

Illini fans continue to pack the Assembly Hall; Saturday’s game was Illinois’ 24th-consecutive Champaign sellout. But gone are the standing ovations, unending cheers and bench-inclusive rounds of the wave, all of which marked each home court triumph during the 100th season of Illini basketball.

“I think some of last year, there’s that hangover, for fans, for media,” Weber said. “This is a normal season. Last year wasn’t. This is normal, we’re playing our butts off and trying to win games.”

The win brought Illinois into a first-place tie for the most consecutive home wins – Southern Illinois also boasts 33-straight – and marked the fourth in a string of victories against Purdue. But early in the contest, it looked like things might not finish in the Illini’s favor.

Purdue produced seven points before Illinois put up its first basket, and led through the game’s first 10 minutes.

Illinois turned the game around thanks to big boards from James Augustine and a 19-point shooting game from Rich McBride, who helped build a 21-point lead that ended in an easy victory.

“I think we just looked at the scoreboard and knew we had to step it up a little bit,” Augustine said. “One thing led to another, and everybody kind of fed off of one another.”

While the team’s top-10 ranking and spot at the top of the Big Ten are familiar for Illini fans, Weber warned that Final Four appearances and record-setting streaks are not common components of college basketball seasons. Wins like those against Purdue and Northwestern are unordinary in a conference that boasts five squads in the top-25. The Illini, now three games removed from their last loss, will face another one of those ranked teams when they head to Madison, Wis. to take on the Badgers on Tuesday.

“We’re good, and a lot of people would like to be in our spot, but do you want to stay there, do you want to win a championship? That’s still in doubt now,” Weber said. “Last year we were so confident, we knew what we had, we knew what we were going to play for. The year we’re still not sure.”