Cody Zeller kept Indiana in the game. Verdell Jones’ late charge proved to be the difference.

Zeller finished with 23 points and seven rebounds and Jones overcame a bruised right shoulder to score all six of his points over the final 4:03 to help 18th-ranked Indiana get past Northwestern 71-66 last night.

The victory gave coach Tom Crean his first 20-win season in four seasons with the Hoosiers (20-6, 8-6 Big Ten).

“Tonight was about us somehow finding a way to get our 20th win,” Crean said. “We really wanted to do that at home because of all we’ve been through and all our fans have been through.”

Northwestern (15-10, 5-8) had won six of the previous seven in the series and needed a win to help make a stronger case to the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

John Shurna led the Wildcats with 29 points and Drew Crawford finished with 18, but they didn’t get enough help to pull off the upset — or to keep up with Jones’ finishing flurry.

Jones, who missed the previous 21/2 games because of the injury, changed everything in the final 4:03.

He broke a tie with a 15-foot baseline jumper, then drove in for a layup to give Indiana a 67-63 lead. After the teams traded baskets, Jones hit a shot from the left corner with 29.4 seconds to go to give Indiana a 71-65 lead.

Men’s highlights

Purdue 67, Illinois 62 — Robbie Hummel scored 19 points and three other players scored in double figures to help Purdue (17-9, 7-6) hold off Illinois (16-10, 5-8).

Lewis Jackson and D.J. Byrd added 13 points each and Terone Johnson scored 12 for the Boilermakers.

The Illini, who have lost seven of eight, repeatedly closed to within two over the final 10 minutes but couldn’t get over the hump.

Freshman Tracy Abrams led Illinois with a career-high 22 points.

No. 3 Missouri 83, Oklahoma State 65 — Marcus Denmon scored 17 points to lead five teammates in double figures, and Missouri (24-2, 11-2) avenged an earlier defeat to Oklahoma State (12-14, 5-8) in the Big 12.

No. 8 North Carolina 73, Miami 64 — Harrison Barnes scored 23 points and North Carolina (22-4, 9-2) rallied from an eight-point deficit in the second half to beat the University of Miami (15-9, 6-5) in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

No. 16 Murray State 75, SE Missouri State 66 — Donte Poole scored 25 points and Murray State (25-1, 13-1) bounced back from its first loss of the season to defeat Southeast Missouri State (14-12, 9-5) and clinch its third straight Ohio Valley Conference regular-season title.

No. 23 Notre Dame 71, Rutgers 53 — Jack Cooley scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half and had 18 rebounds to lead Notre Dame (18-8, 10-3) over Rutgers (12-14, 4-9) in the Big East.

No. 24 Wichita State 73, Missouri State 58 — Seven-foot center Garrett Stutz hit four three-pointers and scored 21 points to lead Wichita State (23-4, 14-2) over Missouri State (16-12, 9-7) and clinch at least a tie for the Missouri Valley Conference title.

Women’s highlight

West Virginia 60, No. 21 Rutgers 50 — Christal Caldwell scored 16 points and Eastmoor Academy graduate Ayana Dunning added 14 to help West Virginia (19-6, 9-3) upend Rutgers (17-7, 6-6) in the Big East.

Calhoun remains out

Connecticut men’s coach Jim Calhoun will miss at least two more games while he receives treatment for his ailing back, the school said.

Calhoun has sat out four games because of spinal stenosis. The Huskies (16-9, 6-7 Big East) are 2-2 without him.