USC basketball got manhandled by Oregon State during their showdown on Saturday, but at least there's some good to come out for the Trojans in the contest. Bronny James recorded his best game so far, reaching double digits in scoring for the first time in his collegiate career and playing the most minutes since his return to action following his health scare during the offseason.

Playing in just his fifth game for USC, James came off the bench once again and appeared to be finally finding his stride with the team. He entered the match-up averaging just 15.5 minutes per game and tallying 5.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 assist and 1.3 steals while shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep.

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How Bronny James looked in USC's loss

Against the Beavers, LeBron James' eldest son tripled his scoring output and tried his best to do everything on the court in his limited playing time. Bronny James finished with 15 points along with one rebound, three assists and one steal. He was an efficient 6-of-11 from the field, with his four misses coming from deep after making just two of his six 3-point attempts.

Bronny provided fans with plenty to look forward to in the future, with his athleticism, on-court awareness and passing all evident.

Late in the first half, he forced a turnover off Oregon State guard's Jordan Pope. While there was some contact between James and Pope, the referee didn't whistle. Bronny then quickly shifted his focus on the loose ball and proceeded to throw down his first official dunk for USC basketball.

Perhaps one of the best moments from Bronny James came in the second half, when he drained back-to-back triples to push the Trojans within 10 of the Beavers. Unfortunately, USC just couldn't muster a complete comeback, with their offense slowing down after that and Oregon State pulling away for good behind big-time plays from Tyler Bilodeau.

Dexter Akanno, who had 18 points in the game, stepped up big time for the Beavers as well to ruin Bronny's coming-out party.

Bronny had the second-most points for USC basketball in the 86-70 defeat. Only Boogie Ellis had more with 20, but the starting guard did play for 38 minutes. Aside from the two, no other players from the team reached double digits in scoring. James' three assists were also the second-most on the team, trailing only Ellis and Isaiah Collier with four each.

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Bronny James making case for more minutes, starting role

While it might still be too early to say, especially after just five games, Bronny James is certainly making a case for an increased workload from USC head coach Andy Enfield.

Enfield recently admitted that Bronny is ā€œstill getting back into basketball shape,ā€ which is why his minutes have been staggered so far (via ESPN). Of course that strategy has largely prevented James from putting up big numbers and truly making a huge impact for the Trojans on the court.

After Saturday's showing, however, Bronny might be ready for more minutes. It might not be a bad idea for Enfield to even try him as a starter and see how he can play along with the rest of the starting unit. James has shown he can be a floor general, and with his ability to attack the rim, he could very well be an effective threat who'll thrive along with the other starters.

USC returns to action on Wednesday when they play USC Berkeley. It remains to be seen how the Trojans will utilize Bronny in the game, but hopes are high he can have a more prominent role on the offense.