BALTIMORE – Six Retrievers scored in double figures as UMBC (6-6) built a 24-point lead, then held off an improved Coppin State squad, 86-77, at the UMBC Event Center.

Junior forward Brandon Horvath (West River, Md./Southern) led the balanced attack with 16 points. Senior guard K.J. Jackson (Houston, Texas) added 14 and a game-high seven assists, while sophomore R.J. Eytle-Rock (London, England) returned from a seven-game injury absence to score 12 points, while adding seven caroms and six assists.

Coppin State (4-8) senior guard Kamar McKnight scored 14 of his game-high 23 points as the Eagles mounted a furious second-half rally.

UMBC trailed, 10-4 in the early stages, but scored 12 consecutive points to lead 16-10 at the 11:32 mark of the first half. After missing eight of their first ten attempts, including all five from behind the arc, the Retrievers would convert 13-of-23 from the floor and 6-of-10 from behind the arc in the final 14:16 of the first half.

The Retrievers took a 42-24 lead into the locker room and would increase the margin to 53-29 with 17 minutes remaining in regulation. But the Eagles, who were shooting just over 20 percent from the floor at that stage, heated up and slowly cut into the deficit.

UMBC led, 72-59, after a Horvath put-back with 4:21 remaining, but a pair of deep Coppin State treys helped bring the visitors to within 74-67 with 2:17 to play.

Sophomore wing Keondre Kennedy (Atlanta, Ga.), who scored 10 of his 11 points in the first half, made the key play down the stretch. grabbing an offensive carom off a missed UMBC free throw with 2:10 remaining. He fed Eytle-Rock, who converted two free throws to restore the Retriever lead to double-digits at 77-67 at the 2-minute mark.

Coppin State would close to 83-75 with 1:15 remaining, but a Horvath layup with 41 seconds left iced the victory.

Junior post Daniel Akin (London, England) and sophomore guard L.J. Owens (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) each scored 10 points and combined for 18 in the second half.

The Retrievers hit 29-of-60 field goal attempts (48.3 percent) and posted 21 assists against 11 turnovers.

Coppin State knocked down 19-of-34 shots in the second half and finished at 41.7 percent (25-of-60) over 40 minutes.

The victory was UMBC's first in December and snapped a three-game slide.

The Retrievers jump right back into action on Tuesday, when they face the Georgetown Hoyas at Capital One Arena. Tip-off time is slated for 6:30 p.m.