PBA rookie Aaron Black repaid the trust of his father, Meralco head coach Norman Black, by providing quality minutes in a 93-81 victory over Alaska in the Philippine Cup.

Aaron delivered 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 10 minutes off the bench as Meralco notched its first win in the PBA bubble after dropping its conference-opener against Phoenix.

“I’m sure he is very, very happy that he played well and he helped the team win,” Norman said of Aaron.

“He is getting experience on the fly,” Norman added. “He was actually a part of that team that helped us pull away, hit a couple of shots.”

The 18th pick from Ateneo scored 5 straight points in the 12-0 run Meralco used to open the floodgates.

He sank two free throws and a triple as Alaska saw its deficit swell to 18 points, 76-58, with 9 minutes left.

Missing only one field goal and making both of his three-pointers, Aaron led Meralco in plus-minus with +17.

“He is going to grow with the team. He is a good player,” Norman said.

“I know he did not really get a chance to show it in college last year but he is a good player. He knows how to play. He is confident and he is mature for his age.”

Norman said he will reward Aaron with playing time as long as he contributes to the team.

“I’ll just continue to give him a shot, put him out there, and if he performs very well, I’ll keep him out there. If not, I’ll just bring back the other players, the starters,” Norman said.

Meralco takes on Barangay Ginebra on Sunday, October 18, in a rematch of the Governors’ Cup finals last season. – Rappler.com