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imho, no intentional foul. this was a common foul based on what you've described.
we ALWAYS should have game context in mind when officiating (i.e. similar plays need similar calls, making sure we identify "trouble makers", understand time/score situtations, etc.). good officials know when a team is going to foul in order to stop the clock and/or get the ball back.
when determining an intentional foul, i only consider two factors: 1) did the defender make a "normal" play on the ball or offensive player; or 2) was there excessive contact.
what you described did not meet either of those criteria. YES, the defender fouled away from the ball. whether the intention was to stop the clock or not, that play is very rarely ruled an intentional foul. just because a team wants to foul to stop the clock in end of game situations does not mean it is an intentional foul. to make the call you did would, imho, mean you are reading way too much into the wording of the rule - taking it too literally....
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