EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Jalen Henry put the finishes touches on a rousing SIUE Cougars' win Sunday afternoon at the Vadalabene Center.

Henry sank two free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining to secure a 76-75 victory over South Alabama, giving the Cougars their second consecutive win. Thanks to Henry's season-high 26 points – two shy of his career best -- the Cougars improved to 3-6. South Alabama dropped to 5-5.

"This game is near the top of the best games I've had," said Henry, a 6-foot-8 senior from Springfield. "It's a big win for us and shows where we are going as a team."

Henry also snared 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season. Teammate Daniel Kinchen pitched in 18 points, including 15 the second half, as the Cougars overturned a 44-37 halftime deficit.

"It's really nice to see the players get rewarded for their hard work," SIUE Head Coach Jon Harris said. "It feels good to win two in a row and it's another step for us, but I believe we are just scratching the surface of where we want to be this season."

Henry added, "Everybody is on board with what we are doing and we have to win home games because they are big."

Nothing was bigger for the Cougars than their burst in the final five minutes. They trailed 70-62 after South Alabama went on a 12-0 run with guard Rodrick Sikes scoring eight of his 13 points during that spree. Reserve Jordan Andrews led the Jaguars' scoring overall with 15 points.

Henry converted four free throws to get SIUE within four at 70-66 with 2:41 to play. The Cougars continued to respond and Kinchen hit a 3-pointer with 1:30 remaining to cut the Jaguars' lead to 74-71.

"Daniel is a great kid and he really responded for us," said Harris, pointing to Kinchen's four treys in the second half.

Yet it was Henry's 3-pointer that knotted things at 74-all with 43.7 seconds to go. Dederick Lee of South Alabama countered with a free throw 11 seconds late to push the Jaguars back on top. Then Henry made his pair of pressure foul shots to provide SIUE with the margin of victory.

"We practice (situations) like that every day," Henry said, referring to game-winning shots.

Keenan Simmons collected a season-best nine rebounds and eight shots to complement the work of Henry and Kinchen. Christian Ellis accumulated five assists.

SIUE made 24 of 59 shots, including 10 of 24 from 3-point land. The Cougars also converted 18 of 25 free throws and accounted for 16 assists, or seven more than South Alabama. The Jaguars hit 24 of 60 shots, including 7 of 21 treys. They made 20 of 25 free throws.

Early on, SIUE made four of its first six shots from 3-point range –with Jaylen McCoy, D.J. Jackson, Henry and Kinchen connecting – to build a 19-10 lead. Then South Alabama went on a 19-5 binge to grab a 29-24 advantage and owned a 44-37 halftime lead.

The Cougars remain home to welcome Chicago State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19. They go to Central Michigan on Friday, Dec. 22 in their final nonconference game of the season. SIUE opens Ohio Valley Conference competition Thursday, Dec. 28 against Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tenn. The Cougars first four OVC contests are on the road.