Dec. 19, 2005: Kyle Boller, the Ravens’ beleaguered quarterback, passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns in a 48-3 win over the Green Bay Packers and the NFL’s No. 1 pass defense. On “Monday Night Football,” and before a record crowd (70,604) at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore sets a team mark for points scored.
Dec. 22, 1971: Despite 35 points by Archie Clark, the Bullets fall, 127-120, at the Civic Center to the Los Angeles Lakers, who win their 27th consecutive game, setting a record for the longest victory streak in pro sports history. (The old mark was 26 by baseball’s New York Giants in 1916.)
Dec. 20, 1966: Mark Belanger, 22-year-old Orioles farmhand, receives the Rawlings Silver Glove Award as the top defensive shortstop in the minor leagues. Belanger will win eight Gold Gloves in a 17-year career in Baltimore.
Dec. 17, 1957: Undefeated Maryland wins its fifth basketball game, 88-58, over Navy at Cole Field House as Charles McNeil scores 20 points, mostly on twisting jump shots. The Terps will go 22-7 and win the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament for the first time before losing in the second round of the NCAA tourney.
Dec. 22, 1951: In the longest NBA game ever played at the Coliseum, the Minneapolis Lakers defeat the Bullets, 96-90, in triple overtime. George Mikan, 6 feet 10, scores 39 points for the winners, and Stan Miasek gets 29 for Baltimore, which falls to 9-16.
Dec. 17, 1943: Poly’s ice hockey team nips Calvert Hall, 2-1, at the Sports Centre on a late goal by Bill Larash. A lacrosse star as well, Larash will earn All-America honors as goalie for Maryland’s stick team in 1951.
Dec. 16, 1947: In a wrestling match televised by WMAR-TV, Tony “Two Ton” Galento defeats Don Lee at the Coliseum. After 18 minutes, Galento — a former boxer — floors his opponent with a right-hand punch to the chin.
Dec. 21, 1939: The University of Baltimore’s basketball team beats Duke, 40-29, at the Coliseum. Nat Winitsky scores 10 points and Red Holzman 7 for the Bees (4-1).
Birthday
Dec. 16, 1964: Bill Ripken, an Orioles second baseman for seven years, who led the team in batting average (.291) in 1990.