PHILADELPHIA — It might well be the most fearsome college basketball team in the country, but in the vulnerable moments before tipoff, North Carolina relies on a routine of flying elbows and gyroscopic hips.

The Tar Heels like to dance. In the tunnel, they form their huddle and turn it into an impromptu dance-off, with two players twirling in the center and the rest clapping and laughing.

“We try to stay loose,” the sophomore forward Justin Jackson said.

They were loose on Friday night, hailing points against fifth-seeded Indiana at Wells Fargo Center in a statement game. The first half approached flawlessness. The second left no doubt, ending with a 101-86 win.

North Carolina, the top seed in the N.C.A.A. tournament’s East Regional, will face Notre Dame on Sunday in the Tar Heels’ first regional final appearance since 2012. Marcus Paige led the Tar Heels with 21 points, while Brice Johnson added 20 and Kennedy Meeks had 15.