STONY BROOK, N.Y. — Ashley Langford's stamp on the Stony Brook women's basketball program officially is underway.

Five weeks after being named head coach, Langford has landed her first signee: South Georgia Technical College guard Veronica Charles.

Charles, a 5-foot-4 native of Benue State, Nigeria, led her junior college with 12.1 points and 3.1 steals per game during the 2020-21 season. She also averaged 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 25 games (14 starts).

Charles helped lead the Lady Jets to a 22-4 record and the Sweet 16 round of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I basketball tournament this past April.

She earned the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association's Defensive Player of the Year award and was a second-team all-region selection. Charles also earned a spot on the conference's all-academic team and was named to the all-tournament team after helping the Lady Jets secure their fifth straight NJCAA regional title.

"Veronica is a fierce competitor, who has been part of a winning tradition the last two years at SGTC," Langford said. "She is a tenacious defender, which fits right into our identity. And, despite her size, she rebounds well. In addition, her ability to shoot the three-ball at a high percentage is very impressive, and will help us space the floor on offense. Veronica is also a great person to be around. She's always smiling and her energy is contagious. The fans will love her."

The Seawolves return 11 members from their 2020-21 squad, which notched its second straight America East postseason title and made program history by reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

Langford was hired on April 28 after previously serving as associate head coach at James Madison. Under her leadership, JMU produced a .746 winning percentage (91-31) and three regular-season conference titles in four seasons.