Game at Fullerton Postponed as Dunk Breaks Backboard

Cal State Long Beach forward Kevin Cutler finished off a fast break and a basketball game against Cal State Fullerton at the same time Thursday night when his dunk shattered a backboard in Titan Gym.

Cutler took a pass from Bryon Russell, dunked with his right hand and tore the rim down. Several chunks of glass fell, causing minor cuts to two Fullerton cheerleaders, but there were no major injuries.

Most of the backboard remained intact except for a small circular hole, about one foot in diameter, where the break-away rim was before it broke away. Because of the time required to replace the backboard--about six to eight hours, according to Titan equipment manager Cliff Hatter--the game was postponed until next Tuesday.

The game will be resumed at 7:30 p.m. with the 49ers leading, 10-8, with 16:10 remaining in the first half.

The timing of the oddity was actually good for Fullerton. The Titans’ starting center, Aaron Wilhite, did not suit up because of a knee injury, point guard Wayne Williams didn’t start because of an ankle injury and reserve center Ron Caldwell, suffering from a rib-cage injury, wasn’t even at the game.

Wilhite may be ready to return next week and Williams will have some extra time to heal. The status of Caldwell, who missed a practice session earlier Thursday and did not notify Coach John Sneed, is unclear.

After celebrating with his teammates, Cutler went back to grab a chunk of glass from the floor.

“I wanted to take the rim, but they stopped me,” said Cutler, a Ganesha High graduate who originally signed with Fullerton in 1986. “I’ll probably save the glass and give it to my mother. I’ve seen Darryl Dawkins and Jerome Lane do this on TV, and we try to do it every day in practice. This is like a dream come true.”