NEW ORLEANS -- Its Holiday season in New Orleans all right. One of the Pelicans primary players is back and already helping them win.Jrue Holiday scored 21 points in his first action this season, Anthony Davis had his latest stellar outing with 38 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, and the Pelicans beat the Portland Trail Blazers 113-101 on Friday night.I head a great first game, Holiday said. The thrill was there. It felt good, being a part of a team.Holiday made his season debut after missing the first 12 games to care for his wife, retired soccer star Lauren Holiday, who had brain surgery last month only weeks after giving birth to the couples first child, a daughter.He wound up playing just more than 23 minutes hitting an array of jumpers, including a 3, as well as driving floaters and layups. He finished with seven assists, none more crowd-pleasing than his crisp bounce-pass to a cutting Davis, who finished the play with a thunderous two-handed dunk.Holiday had been in constant contact with coaches and studying game video while on leave, so he wasnt surprised that he quickly got into the rhythm of the offense.There are some new faces around here, but at the same time its the same system, Holiday said. The part that I was really worried about was conditioning. I really thought that I was behind. Maybe I was just excited for this game. I felt like I could play forever.Terrence Jones added 15 points, and Tim Frazier had 12 for the Pelicans. New Orleans built the lead up to 20 in the fourth quarter and cruised to the finished. Theyve won three of five after an 0-8 start.Damian Lillard scored 27 points, and CJ McCollum 24 for Portland, which has lost three straight to fall to 7-7. Mason Plumlee added 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who never got closer than eight points in the second half.We obviously are not playing the best basketball right now, but we are still .500, said Portland forward Ed Davis, who had 11 rebounds in a starting role that required him to attempt to defend his Pelicans namesake. Its not like we are on an eight-game losing streak.We are not in panic mode, he added. Well be all right, man.TIP-INSTrail Blazers: Maurice Harkless scored 10 points, but went 2 of 7 from 3-point range, from where the Blazers went 12 of 34 as a team. ... Portland has scored 100 or more points in 12 of its first 14 games. ... The Blazers, which lost 126-109 in Houston on Thursday night, dropped to 3-4 on the road.Pelicans: Alvin Gentry reached his 800th career game as an NBA head coach. ... New Orleans won its second straight home game after starting 0-5 on its own floor. ... Center Alexis Ajinca sat out with a sore left shoulder.HOLIDAY CHEERThe crowd bellowed, Jruuuuue! as Holiday checked in, and he wasted no time getting involved, assisting on Jones layup the first time he handled the ball on the offensive end.Within four minutes on the court, Holiday scored five points to go with a rebound and assists, and even a block on Noah Vonlehs dunk attempt.Anthony Davis called Holiday instant offense.He comes in, makes great reads, makes plays for himself or others -- and also does it on the defensive end, Davis said. In my eyes, hes one of the top point guards in the league and it showed.DOMINANT DAVISDavis was making shots from all over the court, hitting a pair of 3s to go with usual leaners, floaters, layups and mid-range jumpers.The Pelicans made their first significant push in the final three minutes of the first half. Portland was down 51-47 after Plumlees 16-foot jumper, but Davis responded with a 16-footer of his own that sparked a 13-4 run to close out the half. Davis added six more points during the spurt, hitting a jumper, floater and spinning a reverse layup off the glass with McCollum climbing on his shoulders. Davis also rejected his third Lillard shot of the half, and New Orleans led 64-51 as the horn sounded to end the second quarter.NEW LOOKHoliday wore goggles as a precaution after missing the last nine games of last season because of an inadvertent elbow he took to the head, fracturing his orbital eye wall.He said he hasnt decided yet how long hell wear them.We won so Im probably going to play in them Saturday night, he said. I think I look dorky. Ive already been made fun of by half of the team. Thats OK as long as we get the win.UP NEXTTrail Blazers: Visit Brooklyn on Sunday.Pelicans: Host Charlotte on Saturday night. Wholesale Canucks Jerseys . 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(STATS) -- The deep CAA Football race is truly about survival, and thats what No. 6 Richmond did against No. 16 Albany on Saturday as the Spiders pulled out a 36-30 road win in three overtimes.A loss would have left the Spiders (5-1, 2-1) in a deep hole, as James Madison, New Hampshire and Villanova are each off to a 3-0 start in conference play.David Broadus 4-yard touchdown run in the third OT was the difference for the Spiders, whose defense then held Albany on its possession.The Great Danes (4-1, 1-1), playing their biggest CAA game since joining the 12-team conference in 2013, nearly won in regulation, but Ethan Stark was wide right on a 50-yard field goal attempt as time expired, which kept the score 20-20.Richmond freshman Deontez Thompson carried the ball 20 times for 112 yards and three touchdowns. He gained 42 of the yards in the overtime periods.Im extremely proud of this group, I cant say that enough, Richmond coach Danny Rocco said. The resiliency and toughness that these young men put on display tonight was outstanding.The Spiders shared the CAA title with James Madison and William & Mary last season and were this years preseason favorite.---=STATS FCS TOP 25 SCHEDULE=Saturday, Oct. 8=No. 1 North Dakota State (5-0, 2-0 Missouri Valley) 27, Missouri State (3-2, 1-1) 3King Frazier rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns and the NDSU defense forced four turnovers. By controlling the clock for 33 minutes, 5 seconds, the Bison have led in time of possession in 35 of their last 36 games.---=No. 2 Sam Houston State (5-0, 4-0 Southland) 63, Incarnate Word (1-5, 1-3) 48The top-scoring offense in the FCS held the ball for less than 19 minutes, but racked up 508 yards and nine touchdowns. Corey Avery needed only 17 carries to rush for 212 yards and four touchdowns, and Jeremiah Briscoe had four touchdown passes among his 14 completions.---=No. 3 Jacksonville State (4-1, 1-0 OVC) 40, Tennessee Tech (2-4, 2-2) 21Jacksonville State stretched its Ohio Valley Conference winning streak to 18 as Josh Clemons rushed for 110 yards and three touchdowns. The Gamecocks had five takeaways, led by safety Delwyn Torbert with a fumble recovery and an interception.---=No. 4 Eastern Washington (5-1, 3-0 Big Sky) 49, Northern Colorado (3-2-1-1) 31Eagles sophomore Gage Gubrud completed 33 of 39 passes for 435 yards and five second-half touchdowns, including four to Shaq Hill. Gubrud also had 79 of EWUs 224 rushing yards.Hill caught seven passes for 153 yards. Teammate Cooper Kupp was held to five receptions for 59 yards.---=No. 5 Chattanooga (6-0, 4-0 Southern) 52, Mercer (2-3, 1-2) 31The Mocs avenged a loss to Mercer last year -- their only Southern Conference loss since the start of the 2014 season -- as Alejandro Bennifield was 23 of 31 for 258 yards and four touchdowns.---=No. 7 James Madison (5-1, 3-0) 31, William & Mary (2-4, 0-3) 24In a matchup of two of last years CAA Football champions, JMU senior Khalid Abdullah carried the ball 25 times for 194 yards and three touchdowns.With JMU nursing a 24-17 lead, cornerback Taylor Reynolds intercepted William & Mary quarterback Steve Cluley in the end zone with 1:22 to play. Abdullah, the FCS rushing leader, followed with a game-clinching, 74-yard touchdown run with 55 seconds remaining.---=No. 10 Montana (4-1) 67, Mississippi Valley State (0-6) 7Montanas Brady Gustafson was 21 of 26 for 251 yards and four first-half touchdowns, and the Griz defense used five sacks and 11 tackles for loss to drop MVSU for negative-61 rushing yards. The visiting Delta Devils also self-destructed with five turnovers and 12 penalties.---=South Dakota (2-3, 1-1 Missouri Valley) 28, No. 11 Northern Iowa (2-3, 1-1) 25South Dakota quarterback Chris Streveler accounted for 310 total yards and three touchdowns in the upset. He threw 75- and 29-yard touchdowns to Tacari Carpenter and rushed for a 69-yard score.UNII quarterback Aaron Bailey also had three total touchdowns (two rushing, one passing), but was sacked five times.dddddddddddd Austin Errthum missed a 34-yard field goal attempt that could have tied the game with less than five minutes remaining.---=No. 12 South Dakota State (3-2, 2-0 Missouri Valley) 45, Southern Illinois (2-3, 0-2) 39The visiting Jackrabbits never trailed in the game as Taryn Christion was 32 of 51 for a school-record 466 yards and five touchdowns, bolstered by his favorite targets, wide receiver Jake Wieneke (six receptions, 164 yards, two touchdowns) and tight end Dallas Goedert (12 receptions, 108 yards, one touchdown).---=No. 13 Western Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Missouri Valley) 36, Indiana State (3-3, 1-2) 35Nathan Kaufmans 41-yard field goal with 11:41 to play gave WIU a one-point lead that stood up. Lance Lenoir caught 11 passes for 204 yards and two of Sean McGuires three touchdown passes.---=No. 14 Villanova (5-1, 3-0 CAA) 35, Rhode Island (1-5, 0-3) 0Five different Villanova players scored touchdowns and the defense limited URI to 103 yards in the Wildcats fifth straight win. Linebacker Austin Calitro had eight tackles, including a sack.---=No. 15 Youngstown State (4-1, 2-0 Missouri Valley) 20, No. 23 Illinois State (2-4, 0-3) 6Youngstown State scored the games final 17 points in the fourth quarter to earn its third straight win and hand Illinois State its fourth consecutive defeat.The Penguins held the Redbirds to 250 yards and two field goals while quarterback Ricky Davis (97 yards) and running back Tevin McCaster (81 yards, touchdown) led a 276-yard ground game.---=No. 19 Eastern Illinois (4-2, 2-1 OVC) 35, Tennessee State (4-1, 1-1) 34Running back Devin Church scored three touchdowns as EIU handed Tennessee State its first loss. Churchs final score, a 4-yard pass from Mitch Kimble with nine minutes remaining, erased a 34-28 deficit.---=Southeastern Louisiana (2-3, 2-1 Southland) 31, No. 20 McNeese (3-3, 2-2) 24McNeese was stunned in the Southland Conference when Justin Alo threw an 82-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Acker with eight seconds remaining.The host Lions held McNeese quarterback James Tabary to 196 passing yards. He threw two touchdowns and one interception.---=No. 22 Harvard (4-0, 2-0 Ivy) 29, Cornell (3-1, 1-1) 13Junior Semar Smith rushed for three touchdowns and Joe Viviano III passed for 229 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown to Anthony Firkser, to spark Harvard in a matchup of unbeaten Ivy League teams.The Crimson intercepted Cornells Dalton Banks three times, including Tanner Lee twice.---=No. 24 North Dakota (4-2, 3-0 Big Sky) 40, Sacramento State (1-5, 1-2) 7North Dakota had three players reach 100 rushing yards in its fourth straight win: Brady Oliveira (111 yards, two touchdowns), Austin Gordon (102 yards) and Keaton Studsrud (100 yards, two touchdowns).---=Thursday, Oct. 6=No. 9 The Citadel (5-0) 38, North Greenville (3-3) 14The Bulldogs carried the ball 80 times for 559 yards, with Cam Jackson rushing for 107 yards and a touchdowns. Quarterback Dominique Allen and running back Reggie Williams accounted for two touchdowns each.Brent Thompson became the first Citadel coach to win his first five career games.---=No. 18 North Carolina A&T (4-1, 2-0 MEAC) 35, Norfolk State (1-5, 0-3) 0Tarik Cohen rushed for 200 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown, and set the MEAC all-time rushing record. The senior surpassed South Carolina States William Ford (4,660 yards from 2006-09) while raising his career total to 4,702.N.C. A&T posted its second shutout of the season, limiting Norfolk State to 137 yards.---=Idle=No. 8 Charleston Southern (3-2), No. 17 Coastal Carolina (3-2), No. 21 Cal Poly (3-2, 1-1 Big Sky) and No. 25 Central Arkansas (4-1, 3-0 Southland) ' ' '